Columbia Professor Katherine Franke Says She Was Forced to Retire Because of Activism

Columbia University and one of its longtime law professors, Katherine Franke, have severed ties after an investigation stemming from her advocacy on behalf of pro-Palestinian students.It was the latest fallout from student and faculty activism related to the Gaza War on a major university campus.Ms.Franke, a tenured professor known primarily for her work as founder and director of Columbia’s Center for Gender & Sexuality Law, had been an advocate for pro-Palestinian students as protests erupted on the campus last school year.She was also one of several faculty members investigated by the university over allegations of antisemitism, after the school received complaints about comments she made about Israelis on a radio program.Describing her departure as a “termination dressed up in more palatable terms,” Ms.

Franke said in a statement on Friday that she had reached an agreement with the university to leave, because Columbia had become a “toxic and hostile environment.”A Columbia University spokeswoman, Samantha Slater, said in a statement that the university was “committed to being a community that is welcoming to all and our policies prohibit discrimination and harassment.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe....