Claire Shipman, the new acting president of Columbia University, has faced criticism for downplaying congressional hearings on campus antisemitism in a 2023 text message. Shipman, who was appointed as interim school president after Minouche Shafik’s resignation amid claims of institutional antisemitism, called the congressional oversight efforts “capital hill nonsense” and stated that it would help protect the university from similar issues.
Shipman testified before Congress in April 2024, calling antisemitism “dangerous and reprehensible” and saying it has no place at Columbia. However, her comments were contrasted with a message she sent to Shafik, where she derided congressional oversight efforts as a threat that would “inoculate us for a while from the capital hill nonsense”.
The university is currently focusing on creating a safe environment for students, according to a spokesperson. Shipman replaces interim school president Katrina Armstrong, who stepped down amid a clash with the Trump administration over $400 million in federal funding.
Shipman has a background in journalism, having worked as a CNN White House reporter and a senior national correspondent for ABC’s “Good Morning America”. Her appointment comes after Shafik resigned due to claims of institutional antisemitism.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-columbia-university-president-dismissed-house-antisemitism-hearing-nonsense