Republican congresswoman subpoenas Columbia University in antisemitism probe

Congressional Republicans have ordered Columbia University to hand over all records related to recent conversations among high-level administrators about antisemitism on the New York City school's campus.

In a legally binding request on Wednesday, North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx demanded to see any communications about antisemitism between the university's former president and other top campus officials since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

A former college administrator who is a major critic of higher education, Foxx accused the school of not sufficiently cooperating with legislators' efforts to understand what prompted some Jewish students and staff to feel unsafe as anti-war protests overtook the campus last spring.

The subpoena came nearly a week after the university's president resigned under internal and external pressure prompted by her handling of student protests. Minouche Shafik, a former World Bank executive and Columbia's first woman president, was only a year into the job and stepped down just before the start of a new academic year.

Columbia president resigns: Minouche Shafik steps down months after protests over the Israel-Hamas war

In a statement, Columbia spokesperson Ben Chang said the university has complied with lawmakers' requests and is dedicated to combating all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism.

"We have provided thousands of documents over the past seven months in response to the committee’s dozens of ongoing requests, and we remain committed to cooperating with the committee," he said.

Zachary Schermele covers education and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele .

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Republican congresswoman subpoenas Columbia University in antisemitism probe