On Sunday afternoon the Washington Free Beacon published its story on the testimony of former Columbia president Katrina Armstrong in the Title VI investigation of the school. Armstrong whipped up a hurricane of embarrassment on her way out the door.
Armstrong privately assured Columbia faculty that the school’s public commitment to mitigating anti-Semitic harassment on campus was something of a ruse. The leak of that private assurance was more than Columbia could abide:
The former Columbia president resigned last week, days after the leak of a transcript of an internal meeting in which she told faculty members that—despite the university’s public statements to the federal government—it would not in fact make several changes demanded by the Trump administration. The school said in a statement on Sunday—after the Free Beacon reached out for comment on this story—that, after discussions with her successor, Claire Shipman, “Dr. Armstrong has decided to take a sabbatical and spend time with her family.” She had previously been set to return to her post as CEO of Columbia’s medical center.
Claire Shipman was substituted in for Armstrong, but that wasn’t enough. Columbia showed Armstrong the door in the brutal announcement of her exit on April 8: “After discussions with Acting President Shipman, Dr. Armstrong has decided to take a sabbatical and spend time with her family. Dr. James M. McKiernan will continue in his role as Interim Dean of Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and CEO of ColumbiaDoctors.” That formulation of her sabbatical is something less than a fig leaf.
The Free Beacon obtained a statement attributed to the trustees themselves:
In response to a request for comment, a Columbia spokeswoman provided a statement from the school’s board of trustees. “Columbia University is firmly committed to resolving the issues raised by our federal regulators, with respect to discrimination, harassment, and antisemitism, and implementing the policy changes and commitments outlined in our March 21st letter,” the board said. “[Armonstrong’s] testimony does not reflect the hard work undertaken by the University to combat antisemitism, harassment, and discrimination and ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community.”
It’s good to know that Columbia is capable of being embarrassed. Whether has done or will do anything serious about it remains to be seen.
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