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Student Activist Mahmoud Khalil Files Lawsuit Against Columbia University
Just the facts
Palestinian graduate student Mahmoud Khalil filed a civil lawsuit in federal court accusing Columbia University of deliberate indifference to harassment and anti-Palestinian discrimination. The complaint alleges that university administrators failed to protect pro-Palestinian students from doxing, threats, and online harassment following the October 2023 Hamas attacks and subsequent conflict in Gaza. Khalil was previously arrested at his university apartment by federal immigration agents in March 2025 before being released in June 2025 as he appeals deportation proceedings. A Columbia University spokesperson declined to comment on active litigation while maintaining the institution acts promptly regarding harassment allegations.
Why this is news
Student activist Mahmoud Khalil and members of the Palestine Working Group filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Columbia University, its board of trustees, and SIPA Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.