USA · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
Mahmoud Khalil Sues Columbia University Over Discrimination, Doxxing, And Harassment Of Palestinian Students
Sues Columbia and a dean for discrimination and harassment of pro-Palestinian students Alleges failure to shield students from harassment and doxxing, leading to ICE arrest
Whether the story is framed as legal standard or personal accusations.
2 of 3 outlets skipped it: columbia locked campus gates since spring 2024 after restrictions following protests.
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Same story, two versions
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PBS
“The university's "deliberate indifference" led to the doxing of multiple group members”Read the original ↗
TRT World
“They launched a secretive, Gestapo-like office, the Office of Institutional Equity,”Read the original ↗
TRT World leans on dramatic claims of offices and surveillance, while The Hill emphasises the Title VI legal theory.
Khalil sues Columbia
Mahmoud Khalil sued Columbia University on Monday, accusing officials of discriminating against him and other Palestinian students and failing to keep them safe from doxxing and harassment amid widespread demonstrations in spring 2024.
“Mahmoud Khalil sued Columbia University Monday”
Khalil’s lawsuit alleges Columbia violated the plaintiffs’ civil rights and seeks an end to the suspension handed down to The Palestine Working Group in 2025, along with restoration of Khalil’s campus access.
At a news conference announcing the lawsuit, Khalil alleged officials “prioritized the protection and well-being of a subset of students while ignoring our concerns and our pleas.”
The suit also names The Palestine Working Group and its president, Mohammad Zubairi, and it comes as Khalil remains embroiled in multiple legal fights, including efforts to deport him.
Columbia later suspended the group and reportedly accused it of contributing to a harassing environment and has denied Khalil access to campus, citing public safety concerns, while a Columbia spokesperson said, “Columbia is committed to protecting our community from discrimination and harassment.”
Doxing, detention, and retaliation
PBS reported that Khalil’s lawsuit says Columbia’s “deliberate indifference” led to doxing of multiple group members and Khalil’s detention by immigration agents, according to the civil rights lawsuit filed in federal court in New York City.P
Khalil accused Columbia of “discrimination aimed at intimidating Palestinian students” at the news conference announcing the lawsuit, and PBS said the university declined to comment on the lawsuit while reiterating its commitment to a safe campus environment.P
TRT World said Khalil told a New York news conference that he was filing a lawsuit against Columbia University and SIPA Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo for “gross and systematic discrimination against Palestinian students at Columbia.”T
TRT World also reported Khalil’s claim that Columbia created an environment that intimidates Palestinian students, stressing that Columbia laid the groundwork for his targeting by the US administration “through its deliberate indifference and discrimination aimed at intimidating Palestinian students.”T
The Hill reported the lawsuit alleges Columbia violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act when dealing with incidents against the Palestine Working Group, which the university suspended indefinitely in May 2025, and it seeks to reinstate PWG, allow Khalil back on campus, and pay monetary damages.
What’s at stake next
The Guardian reported that Khalil and members of the SIPA’s Palestine Working Group filed a 60-page complaint in the southern district of New York accusing Columbia, its board, and dean Keren Yarhi-Milo of “deliberate indifference” and failure to respond to “severe, persistent, and coordinated harassment.”
“Columbia laid the groundwork for my targeting by the Trump administration”
The Guardian said Khalil missed the birth of his first son while in detention and was released in June 2025, but his deportation case remains active and is expected to ultimately be decided by the US supreme court.
The Guardian also quoted Khalil writing in a statement, “Columbia laid the groundwork for my targeting by the Trump administration through its deliberate indifference and discrimination aimed at intimidating Palestinian students.”
Middle East Eye reported that Khalil told reporters at a news conference in New York City, “If only I had legal support [from the university] before my detention, I don't think ICE would have came and kidnapped me,” and he said he was suing Columbia for the groundwork he argued made his abduction possible.
The Hill said the lawsuit is looking to force Columbia to reinstate PWG, take greater action against anti-Muslin discrimination, allow Khalil back on campus, and pay monetary damages, while Inside Higher Ed reported Columbia agreed to pay $221 million as part of a July settlement with the federal government over alleged civil rights violations.