Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University alleging anti-Palestinian discrimination and retaliation

The short version

• Activists, including Mahmoud Khalil, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Columbia University, its board, and a dean alleging anti-Palestinian discrimination and retaliation.[The Guardian · The Washington Sun]
• The complaint alleges Columbia exhibited deliberate indifference toward student harassment and doxing, enabling Khalil's March 2025 arrest by federal immigration agents.[The Guardian · The Washington Sun]
• Khalil spent 104 days in an immigration detention facility before a judge ordered his release, though his deportation case remains active.[The Washington Sun]
• Columbia University declined to comment on the litigation, but affirmed its commitment to protecting its community from discrimination and harassment.[The Washington Sun]

Key facts

• Mahmoud Khalil and members of the SIPA Palestine Working Group filed a civil rights lawsuit against Columbia University in federal court in New York City.[The Guardian · The Washington Sun]
• The lawsuit alleges Columbia exhibited deliberate indifference to harassment, retaliated against pro-Palestinian activists, and failed to protect students.[The Guardian · The Washington Sun]
• Federal immigration agents arrested Khalil at his campus apartment in March 2025, leading to 104 days in detention before a court ordered his release.[The Washington Sun]
• Columbia University declined to comment on the litigation directly, emphasizing its commitment to a safe campus environment.[The Guardian · The Washington Sun]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Mahmoud Khalil Sues Columbia Over Its Treatment of Pro-Palestinian ActivistsThe Washington Sun
• Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over years of alleged anti-Palestinian discriminationThe Guardian - US