Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University citing 'deliberate indifference' to Palestinians
Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil announced on Monday that he sued Columbia University, where he attended and organized several anti-Israel protests, for what he claimed was years of discrimination.In the lawsuit, Khalil alleged that Columbia University "fostered an environment of hostility towards students holding pro-Palestine views, who were perceived as being Muslims, Arabs, non-citizens, and/or immigrants, and others for their association with those students" based on its treatment and surveillance of students like Khalil."This case concerns Defendants’ deliberate indifference towards and failure to respond to instances of severe, persistent, and coordinated harassment directed towards Mahmoud Khalil, Mohammad Ibrahim Zubairi, and other members of SIPA Palestine Working Group due to their pro-Palestine advocacy and affiliation, their perceived shared ancestry as Arab and/or Muslim students, their national origin, and/or their status as non-citizen immigrants, as well as Defendants’ subsequent retaliation against Mr.Khalil, Mr.
Zubairi, and [Palestine Working Group] and its members for reporting that harassment," the lawsuit read.ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST MAHMOUD KHALIL CLAIMS OCT 7 TERROR ATTACK WAS ‘DESPERATE ATTEMPT’ FOR GAZA TO BE HEARDMahmoud Khalil attends a vigil and protest for Gaza outside Columbia University in New York City, Oct.7, 2025.
(Adam Gray/Getty Images)The lawsuit also alleged that Columbia University's lack of response to actions against Khalil and other activists "directly led" to Khalil's detainment and attempted deportation in 2025 by the Trump administration."Throughout his detainment, Defendants refused to correct disinformation surrounding the nature of Mr.Khalil’s role as a negotiator and mediator during the student protests, allowing a false narrative about his conduct and role to persist and further enabling peer-on-peer harassment of other Palestinian students and students with perceived shared Arab and/or Muslim ancestry...