We reported, five days ago, on three Columbia University deans who were suspended for anti-Semitic texts during a panel discussion titled “Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present, and Future,”. Now comes better news. From The Washington Post:

Columbia puts deans on leave after texts evoking ‘antisemitic tropes’

University leaders took action after learning of messages sent during a panel discussion on Jewish life on campus.

by Susan Svrluga | Monday, July 8, 2024 | 12:53 PM EDT | Updated: 4:07 PM EDT

Columbia University has permanently removed three administrators from their roles and placed them on indefinite leave for texts sent during an alumni weekend event about Jewish life on campus.

Minouche Shafik, the president of Columbia, wrote to the campus community Monday that the behavior and sentiments exhibited in the messages were troubling, unprofessional and “touched on ancient antisemitic tropes.”

“Whether intended as such or not,” she wrote, “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.”

Columbia has faced scrutiny from lawmakers, the Education Department, alumni and others about campus antisemitism this year, as the campus was roiled by protests over the Israel-Gaza war that touched off similar demonstrations at colleges across the country this spring and shut down normal operations on the Ivy League campus. In April, a rabbi at Columbia told Jewish students they should return home for their own safety.

There’s more at the original, but it’s just a rehash of already reported events.

So, what does “permanently removed” from their administrative roles but placed on “indefinite leave” mean? An obvious guess is that the three have some form of tenure, and can’t simply be fired without some very specific processes. But one thing is clear: they need to be gone.

The Washington Post didn’t include the three former deans mugshots photos in its article, but the New York Post did, and that’s where I got the Jew-haters pictures. They might get some form of golden parachutes, but it’s at least possible you’ll see them again, asking, “Would you like fries with that?”

Perhaps they can find new positions in Gaza? 🙂