Overview
- The federal civil rights suit filed on Monday names Mahmoud Khalil, the Palestine Working Group and its president Mohammad Zubairi and charges Columbia with “deliberate indifference” to coordinated harassment of pro‑Palestinian students.
- The complaint alleges Columbia failed to stop repeated doxxing and mischaracterizations of activists, which the suit says helped trigger Khalil’s March 2025 arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and his 104‑day detention in Louisiana.
- Plaintiffs contend university officials retaliated after reports of abuse by branding pro‑Palestinian events as security risks and changing disciplinary rules in a way that targeted criticism of Israel rather than addressing harassment.
- The filing asks a court to restore Khalil’s campus access, lift the suspension on the Palestine Working Group and award damages to be determined at trial, while Columbia has issued a brief statement pledging to protect its community but declined detailed comment on the suit.
- The case adds to a string of legal fights over Columbia’s response to 2023–24 campus protests, follows the university’s July 2025 settlement with the U.S. government and could affect how universities handle student safety, discipline and information shared with federal authorities.