From Fox News · Lindsay Kornick · · 1m 20s
Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia over protest backlash
Khalil says Columbia ignored harassment of pro-Palestinian students, while the university says it protects students from bias.
In brief
Khalil says Columbia ignored harassment of pro-Palestinian students, while the university says it protects students from bias. Khalil’s lawsuit argues Columbia’s response to campus backlash helped fuel the chain of events that led to his detention. Originally reported by Fox News.
Khalil sues Columbia
Mahmoud Khalil filed a lawsuit against Columbia University, accusing the school of years of discrimination tied to his pro-Palestinian activism on campus.
“Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil announced on Monday that he sued Columbia University”
Bias claims widen
The complaint says Columbia allowed hostility toward students seen as pro-Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, non-citizens, immigrants, or connected to those groups.
“an environment of hostility towards students holding pro-Palestine views”
Working group named
Khalil, Mohammad Ibrahim Zubairi, and members of the SIPA Palestine Working Group say they faced repeated harassment because of advocacy and identity.
“severe, persistent, and coordinated harassment”
Detention enters lawsuit
The suit claims Columbia’s inaction helped lead to Khalil’s 2025 detention and attempted deportation by the Trump administration.
“directly led”
Columbia responds carefully
A Columbia spokesperson declined to discuss pending litigation and said the university is committed to a safe campus free from discrimination and harassment.
“Creating a campus environment where every member of our community feels welcome, supported, and safe is fundamental”
Arrest and release
Khalil was arrested at university-owned housing in New York City, transferred to Louisiana, and held for 104 days before a federal judge ordered his release.
“held for 104 days”
Another case continues
Khalil also sued Trump administration members and private pro-Israel groups, alleging a plot to arrest and deport activists under the Ku Klux Klan Act.
“intimidate and silence the growing movement for Palestinian rights”
The main idea
Khalil’s lawsuit argues Columbia’s response to campus backlash helped fuel the chain of events that led to his detention.
