Overview

• On July 1, Reps. Elise Stefanik and Tim Walberg sent a formal letter to acting Columbia president Claire Shipman seeking explanations for her private texts and warning that appointing a trustee based on national origin could violate Title VI.
• The leaked messages include January 2024 exchanges in which Shipman suggested ousting Jewish trustee Shoshana Shendelman and quickly adding an Arab board member amid campus antisemitism debates.
• Columbia officials say the communications were provided to the House committee in fall 2024, arguing they lack context and reflect a particularly challenging period for university leadership.
• Shipman privately apologized to colleagues and donors, calling her remarks wrong, acknowledging her mistake, and pledging to do better in the future.
• The university remains in negotiations with the Trump administration to restore $400 million in funding frozen in March over concerns about campus antisemitism.