Fearful Columbia students who felt ‘intimidated’ by anti-Israel protests to get ‘safety escorts’ as part of lawsuit settlement

Petrified Columbia University students who have felt “harassed and intimidated” by anti-Israel protests which have gripped their college and disrupted learning for months will be provided safety escorts on campus.

The move is part of a settlement in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, where the Ivy League school will now offer “walking escorts” across campus and appoint a “safe passage liaison” to address any students concerns over protests.

Additionally, accommodations will be made for students who were displaced by the protests and couldn’t finish exams or assignments.

It resolves a proposed class action filed by a female Jewish student referred to as C.S. who claimed making students take online classes in response to protests showed how “dangerous” campus had become.

“This settlement sets the bar for how Columbia must protect its students,” Jay Edelson, a lawyer for C.S., said in a statement on Tuesday. 

“The next step for the Columbia community is just as important: We’re looking toward a return to a real debate on campus.”