Shai Davidai suspended from Columbia University campus for 'harassment'

Columbia University assistant professor Shai Davidai has been temporarily banned from the university's campus for reportedly harassing students and staff.

Millie Wert, the university spokesperson, told The Columbia Spectator that the university was not attempting to restrict Davidai's freedom of expression but limit his alleged threatening behaviour. 

"Columbia, however, does not tolerate threats of intimidation, harassment, or other threatening behaviour by its employees," Wert said.

Davidai announced his suspension in a post on Instagram on Tuesday, saying: "The University has decided to not allow me to be on campus anymore. My job. Why? Because of Oct. 7. Because I was not afraid to stand up to the hateful mob. And because I was not afraid to expose Mr. f*****g Cas Holloway"

In the video, Davidai asserts that Cas Holloway, Columbia's Chief Operating Officer, didn't do anything to stop pro-Palestinian protests on campus because neither he nor his kids are Jewish and because "he doesn't give a f**k."

"Cas, this message is for you. I'm not going anywhere, and you? You can go f**k yourself until we meet at court."

According to a university spokesperson speaking with The Columbia Spectator, the university still has Davidai as a faculty member and had provided him with office space off campus.

Wert said that Davidai had to complete training on Columbia's policies on the behaviour of employees.

Numerous videos surfaced of Davidai aggressively confronting Holloway and Assistant Director of Public Safety, Bobby Lau, during the 7 October pro-Palestinian marches. In one video Davidai compares Lau to administrators in "Nazi Germany".

Davidai reportedly also used social media platforms like X and Instagram to target and incite harassment against students supporting Palestine, labelling their actions as "antisemitic".

This led to petitions for his removal and his swipe card access to the main campus to be deactivated in April due to safety concerns.

On 23 April, Davidai was denied access to the Morningside Campus after planning to enter the solidarity camp for Gaza.

Columbia University has been in the spotlight in the US for having frequent pro-Palestinian activism, with US police officers storming the campus and arresting hundreds of students for said protests.

In August, Columbia President Nemat Minouche Shafik resigned following severe backlash for allowing police to enter the campus and make the arrests.