Three Columbia deans placed on leave following ‘derogatory’ text messages leaked by alumnus during panel on anti-Semitism

Three Columbia University deans have been placed on administrative leave after their text messages were leaked by participants in a panel on anti-Semitism. On May 31, participants in an alumni event at the university sat down for a two-hour lecture on anti-Semitism on Columbia’s campus. A panel participant took photos of the phones of university administrators who were in the audience, exchanging texts criticizing the panel, according to the Free Beacon. Deans Josef Sorett, Susan Chang-Kim, Kristen Kromm and Matthew Patashnick were captured in group text chats by a participant who sneakily took photos of their phones. One image captures a text sent by Chang-Kim to Sorett that read, “This is hard to listen to but I’m trying to keep an open mind to learn this point of view,” with Sorett responding, “Yeah.” Patashnick was also captured in a panel discussion with Kromm and Chang-Kim, saying the panel was a “fundraising” opportunity. The Columbia Spectator reported Friday that Chang-Kim, Kromm and Patashnick had been placed on administrative leave, pending a university investigation into their text messages.