Columbia President Apologizes for Private Texts Criticizing Jewish and Arab Board Members

The president of Columbia University has publicly apologized after private texts revealed her criticizing key Jewish board members and suggesting the school appoint an Arab board member “quickly.”

In January 2024, during a period of anti-Israel protests on campus, acting President Claire Shipman sent texts advocating for the removal of trustee Shoshana Shendelman, a vocal supporter of Jewish students. In the messages, Shipman described her as “extraordinarily unhelpful” and proposed bringing in someone from the Middle East.

Shipman later issued a private email, shared with The Post by an anonymous source, in which she admitted to making a mistake and promised to improve. She wrote, “The things I said in a moment of frustration and stress were wrong,” and stressed they did not reflect her true feelings.

The texts, dating back to late 2023 after a Hamas attack on Israel, include Shipman’s remarks to colleagues about her frustration with Shendelman, a Jewish biotech executive, referring to her dismissively and expressing fatigue with her.

The revelations come amid efforts to retain federal funding lost earlier this year, following accusations that Columbia failed to adequately address campus antisemitism. The school has agreed to new policies, including a mask mandate and enhanced security measures.

In her apology, Shipman emphasized the university’s commitment to restoring its relationship with the federal government so that faculty and students can continue their work supporting society.