(NewsNation) — Thirteen federal judges announced they would no longer hire law clerks from Columbia University, whether or not the students were involved in the anti-Israel protests that roiled the Ivy League campus.
The judges, spanning appellate courts and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, sent a joint letter to Columbia’s president, calling the school “an incubator of bigotry” and saying they have “lost confidence” in its ability “to train future leaders of a pluralistic society.”
“Freedom of speech protects protest, not trespass, and certainly not acts or threats of violence or terrorism,” the letter stated, referring to the 112 arrests made during last week’s demonstrations. Some protests devolved into building takeovers requiring police intervention.
The judges insisted recent events demonstrate that “ideological homogeneity” now permeates the prestigious institution.
I have been incredibly critical of the protesters and of Columbia, where I went to law school. But I still think this feels like a total overreaction.
I’ve clarified that the illegal protests on Columbia’s campus aren’t a First Amendment issue. I’ve supported the arrests of law-breaking protesters and the police who made those arrests, diverting attention from other pressing city issues.
However, I don’t endorse the judges’ strict stance against Columbia students.
Aren’t these judges acting just like the protesters who targeted Jewish students over the Israeli government’s actions, and who have disrupted graduation ceremonies due to a situation not of the graduates’ making or under their control? They’re impeding the experience for those who’ve worked hard to be there.
Hiring decisions should be based on individual students’ merits, not by association with the actions of others.
