A group of right-leaning federal judges sent a letter to the president and law dean of Columbia University stating that they won’t hire graduates of their school after the recent unrest on campus during the end of the academic year.
The 13 conservative judges expressed their lack of confidence in Columbia as an institution of higher education, as they hire law clerks to serve in the federal judiciary every year.
Columbia experienced the beginning of pro-Palestinian encampments that have spread across the country. It took the school two weeks to involve the police to clear the area.
The judges wrote that freedom of speech protects protest, not trespass, violence, or terrorism. They emphasized the difference between speech and violence, and criticized universities that fail to enforce the rules accordingly.
The judges added that it has become evident that Columbia applies double standards when it comes to free speech and student misconduct. They highlighted a hypothetical situation where the university's response to religious conservatives upset about abortion would likely differ from their current response.
The judges announced that they would stop hiring from the school beginning with the class of 2024.
The judges stated that the objective of their boycott is to restore academic freedom at Columbia University, not to hinder it.
An official for the school confirmed that they have no comment on the letter.
