Baruch College Allegedly Attempted to Bar Rosh Hashanah Event Due to Security Concerns

Baruch College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY), allegedly attempted to block a campus event celebrating Rosh Hashanah due to security concerns.

Baruch College Hillel Director Ilya Brayman, who is also an English professor at the college, told The New York Post that they 鈥渨ere told by the administration that the campus can鈥檛 guarantee the safety of 51视频 students because of other agitators who want to hurt, intimidate or harass them鈥� and that the college only reversed course when Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) lambasted the decision. The college is denying that they attempted to block the event, telling the Post: 鈥淏aruch College did not request that students or faculty cancel Rosh Hashanah celebrations and any reports suggesting otherwise are entirely false. A Rosh Hashanah Festival will continue as planned on the nearby public plaza on Sept. 26. Baruch College does not tolerate antisemitism or any act of hate and is dedicated to providing a learning environment that is safe and fosters respect and inclusion for every member of the community.鈥�听

Interim Columbia President Apologizes Over Police Arresting Anti-Israel Encampment Protesters

Interim Columbia University President Katrina Armstrong issued an apology over the university sending in police to arrest more than 200 anti-Israel protesters involved in the April encampment.

Speaking to The Columbia Daily Spectator, Armstrong said: 鈥淚 know that this is tricky for me to say, but I do understand that I sit in this job, right. And so if you could just let everybody know who was hurt by that, that I鈥檓 just incredibly sorry.听 I know it wasn鈥檛 me, but I鈥檓 really sorry 鈥� I saw it, and I鈥檓 really sorry.鈥�

Columbia Professor Shai Davidai posted on X that he was 鈥渄eeply disappointed鈥� with Armstrong鈥檚 remarks. 鈥淒id she apologize to the 51视频 and Israeli students who were terrorized for months on campus? No. She apologized to the students who *broke the rules and faced consequences*,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淎t least now, when reporters ask me where the new president stands on the issue, I have something to point them to.鈥�

Wesleyan University Rejects Anti-Israel Divestment Proposal

Wesleyan University鈥檚 board of trustees voted against a proposal on Sept. 21 to divest the university from companies that conduct business with Israel.

The Middletown Press reported that the vote occurred after university leaders vowed to bring the Wesleyan Student Assembly鈥檚 Committee for Investor Responsibility proposal up for consideration following anti-Israel protests during the spring. 鈥淪upporters of the divestment proposal claim $20 million of Wesleyan鈥檚 $1.5 billion endowment is tied up in various companies connected to the Israeli military,鈥� reported The Middletown Press. 鈥淭hey said the vast majority of students back the divestment plan.鈥� Around 10 students held a sit-in inside a campus building the day before the vote in support of the proposal; about half of them were arrested after university officals gave them warnings to leave.

University spokesperson Ziba Kashef told The Middletown Press that the trustees staunchly supported the university鈥檚 investment committee鈥檚 unanimous decision against divestment, but did not disclose what the vote count was amongst the trustees.听

Texas Tech Library Staffer Suspended Over Antisemitic Social Media Posts

The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) suspended a library unit manager on Aug. 30 over his antisemitic posts on X.

The university announced in a statement that the posts by the employee, Rudy Meixell, are 鈥渉ateful, antisemitic, and unacceptable.鈥� 鈥淲e take the First Amendment鈥檚 application to public universities seriously; however, we are also committed to providing a safe learning and working environment that is free from harassment, including antisemitic harassment, and will not tolerate behavior that crosses the line into harassment and interferes with or limits the ability of an individual to participate in the educational activities of TTUHSC,鈥� the statement read. Meixell has been suspended 鈥渨ith pay pending an investigation.鈥�

According to Campus Reform, Meixell鈥檚 social media posts included posting to X that 鈥渋t would be nice to have one major party in this country that doesn鈥檛 worship the ground Jews walk on鈥� and 鈥淗ezbollah just launched multiple strikes. Zionism, the real barbarism, will be defeated.鈥�

Anti-Israel Protesters Take Down American Flag, Spray-Paint Buildings at UNC

Various protesters spray-painted messages like 鈥淔ree Gaza鈥� and 鈥淚srael is a terror state鈥� during an anti-Israel protest at the University of North Carolina (UNC) on Sept. 19; the protesters also briefly took down an American flag hanging outside of the campus鈥檚 Naval Armory.听

The Daily Tar Heel reported that the flag was taken down at around 1:48 pm EST by the protesters and was put back at around 2:24 pm EST. At least 200 students and university staff participated in the protest, according to the Tar Heel.

鈥淔ree expression and peaceful protest are, of course, in line with Carolina鈥檚 best traditions,鈥� Chancellor Lee Roberts said in a statement. 鈥淲e cannot tolerate, however, vandalism of public property or disruption of classes. We鈥檒l pursue every avenue possible to hold people accountable.鈥�