Columbia University temporarily suspended Business School assistant professor Shai Davidai’s campus access, reports the Columbia Spectator. Davidai claims that this this is “Because I was not afraid to stand up to the hateful mob following October 7.”
University spokesperson Millie Wert wrote that Davidai repeatedly harassed and intimidated University employees in violation of University policy. Columbia has consistently and continually respected Assistant Professor Davidai’s right to free speech and to express his views. His freedom of speech has not been limited and is not being limited now. Columbia, however, does not tolerate threats of intimidation, harassment, or other threatening behavior by its employees. Davidai will be allowed back on campus once he “undertakes appropriate training on our policies governing the behavior of our employees.”
Davidai responded and said “I’m happy to complete the training if Cas Holloway completes it with me. Innocent people don’t get punished, not in a democracy, and I refuse to take a punishment for something that I’m innocent for.”
Davidai said he was suspended after posting multiple videos on X of his conversations with Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway and Assistant Director of Public Safety Bobby Lau on Oct. 7.
In a video posted on X, Davidai is seen telling Lau, “You are such a useless administrator. But you know what, there were so many useless administrators in Nazi Germany, and you know what? After the war, they said they did everything they could.”
In another video Davidai posted on X, he said to Holloway, “You are indifferent and you know what? Hatred happens when people like you are indifferent.” In another video he said, “You have to do your job. And I will not let you rest if they won’t let us rest. You have Israeli students crying.”
“The only person that got suspended from campus is the Jewish professor speaking up against the protests,” Davidai told Spectator. “The professors and other people have said and posted horrible things, and yet I’m the only one suspended.”
To Davidai this campus restriction represents a larger issue of the University trying to “silence other Jews.” “It’s no longer a double standard,” Davidai said. “There’s basically no standard for when it comes to Jewish life on campus.”