News - Middle East: On Saturday, law professor Katherine Franke announced her resignation from Columbia University of New York (CUNY), citing a toxic environment for teaching and research.

The veteran academician's forced retirement has sparked concerns about increasing repression on college campuses in the United States, nine months after the Gaza solidarity encampments.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Franke, who has served as the director of the Center for Gender & Sexuality Law, described a "toxic and hostile environment" fostered by the university administration amid the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, which has resulted in over 46,600 deaths and more than 109,600 injuries during the 15-month genocidal campaign that began in October 2023.

Franke, the founder and faculty director of the Law, Rights, and Religion Project at Columbia Law School, also issued a detailed statement on Friday, addressing the pro-Palestinian encampments at the university, which emerged in response to ongoing Israeli genocidal war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

"I have ardently defended students' right to peaceful protest on our campus and across the country. I truly believed that student engagement with the rights and dignity of Palestinians continued a celebrated tradition at Columbia University of student protest," Franke stated.

However, she noted that the university, where she taught for 25 years, has allowed its own disciplinary process to be weaponized against members of our community, including herself.

"I have been targeted for my support of pro-Palestinian protesters – by the president of Columbia University, by several colleagues, by university trustees, and by outside actors," she noted.

The professor described the university’s finding of her public comments as "unjustified."

"This has included an unjustified finding by the University that my public comments condemning attacks against student protesters violated university's non-discrimination policy," she said.

She reiterated her agreement with the university, which has relieved her of her obligations to teach or participate in faculty governance, noting that while the university may term the change in her status "retirement," it should be understood as "a termination dressed up in more palatable terms."

Back on January 25, 2024, pro-Palestinian students at the Columbia University were sprayed with a foul-smelling substance during a campus protest in support of the Palestinian cause.

The incident involved pro-Palestinian protesters, and the accused were identified as students who had previously served in the Israeli forces through Columbia's joint degree program with Tel Aviv University.

Following the incident, Professor Franke appeared on "Democracy Now" show to discuss the events.

In her interview, she expressed concerns about Israeli students who come to Columbia directly after military service, suggesting they had been known to harass Palestinian students on campus.

Her comments led to complaints from two Columbia colleagues, alleging that Franke's remarks constituted harassment against Israeli members of the university and violated its policies.

In April 2024, Columbia University became a focal point for widespread pro-Palestinian on-campus protests in the US, marked by student encampments and confrontations with police.

Approximately, 70 students established the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" on the East Butler Lawn, erecting around 50 tents adorned with Palestinian flags and banners.

This action was a direct response to the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, with students demanding that Columbia University divest from companies supporting Israel's genocidal offensives. 

On April 18, 2024, University President Minouche Shafik authorized the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to dismantle the encampment.

The NYPD's Strategic Response Group intervened, resulting in the arrest of over 100 protesters, including students and external activists. This marked the first instance since the 1968 Vietnam War protests that Columbia permitted police action against campus demonstrations.

Following the initial crackdown, students promptly established a second encampment on the West Lawn of the Butler Lawns.

Negotiations between the university administration and protesters ensued but reached an impasse by April 29.

In a significant escalation, protesters occupied Hamilton Hall, leading to another NYPD intervention on April 30, during which more than 100 individuals were arrested.

Press TV