Columbia agrees to offer safety escorts in settlement with Jewish student

Columbia University will provide safety escorts and take other steps to protect its students, to settle a lawsuit claiming its campus had become unsafe during recent pro-Palestinian protests.

Under a settlement filed in Manhattan federal court, the Ivy League school will through year end offer round-the-clock “walking escorts” across campus, and appoint a “Safe Passage Liaison” to address student concerns over protests.

Columbia’s chief operating officer will get the authority to order alternative means to enter and leave the campus, and students unable to finish exams or key assignments because of protests can seek accommodations.

The settlement resolves a proposed class action filed by a female Jewish student known as C.S. who alleged the school had become too dangerous for Jewish students to receive the education they were promised.

A Columbia spokeswoman says the university remains “committed to our number one priority: the safety of our campus so that all of our students can successfully pursue their education and meet their academic goals.”