No large-scale evidence that Columbia professors tried to intimidate Jewish students

A faculty committee of Columbia University, New York City, formed to investigate complaints of intimidation of Jewish students has said in its final report that it had found no evidence of anti-Semitism on the part of professors. But the committee called on professors and students to behave in a more civil manner towards each other in order to lessen rising tensions over Israel. The report painted a picture of an increasingly politicized Middle East Studies department in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. One professor was singled out by the panel for exceeding "commonly accepted bounds" after an altercation with a pro-Israel student. But the panel concluded that there was no evidence students had received lower grades for their opinions. The controversy at Columbia erupted last year when a pro-Israel group in Boston, the David Project, gave financial backing to a video of Jewish students at the university complaining about mistreatment. The students described a pattern of intimidation by allegedly pro-Palestine professors. Lee Bollinger, Columbia's president, formed the panel in December to look into the charges.