Three Columbia University deans who exchanged “very troubling” texts that “disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes” have resigned from the elite school, officials said Thursday, according to The New York Post.
The three, Susan Chang-Kim, Matthew Patashnick and Cristen Kromm — who were permanently removed from their administrative roles last month — will no longer serve at the Ivy League university, a Columbia spokesperson confirmed to The Post.
It is unclear when the trio submitted their resignations and Columbia University would not provide additional details.
The trio was put on indefinite leave in June after it was revealed they were embroiled in a disparaging and sarcastic text chain that unfolded during a panel discussion the month prior about antisemitism on campus in the wake of Israel’s war against Hamas.
The thread — which included vomit emojis and accused Jewish students of asserting “privilege” — came to light when pictures an attendee snapped of one of the deans’ phones were circulated by The Washington Free Beacon.
“This incident revealed behavior and sentiments that were not only unprofessional, but also, disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes,” Columbia President Minouche Shafik said in a statement last month.
“Whether intended as such or not, these sentiments are unacceptable and deeply upsetting, conveying a lack of seriousness about the concerns and the experiences of members of our Jewish community that is antithetical to our university’s values and the standards we must uphold in our community,” added Shafik.
Columbia University has seen an uptick in antisemitism on campus since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7 and the war in Gaza which followed.
On April 30, at the request of university leaders, hundreds of officers with the New York Police Department stormed onto campus, gaining access to the building through a second-story window and making dozens of arrests of the pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrators who had taken over Hamilton Hall.
Before that, the Chabad rabbi of Columbia University and a group of Jewish students were forced to leave the university campus for their own safety during a pro-Hamas demonstration.
Earlier in April, Shafik came under fire after she refused to condemn the phrase "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" as antisemitic during a hearing on campus antisemitism at the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Instead, she called the chant "hurtful" and said that she would rather not hear it uttered on campus.
Other incidents of antisemitism on Columbia’s campus included the posting of antisemitic flyers showing a skunk emblazoned with the Israeli flag.
A week before that, Israeli firearms model Orin Julie and fashion model Natali Dadon were accosted at the University of Columbia by one of the central figures of the anti-Israel protests on campus.
Shai Davidai, an Israeli-born assistant professor at the Columbia Business School, called Shafik a “coward” in a fiery speech last year criticizing the president for failing to quiet “pro-terror” voices at the school.