NY AG Letitia James condemns Columbia encampment — even as she makes tens of thousands from university
Jon Levine April 27, 2024, 9:07 a.m. ET
State Attorney General Letitia James offered sharp criticism of Columbia University’s anti-Israel student encampment this week — even as she pockets tens of thousands of dollars as a member of the university faculty.
“The events that have occurred at Columbia University have been deeply concerning and painful for many,” James said in a statement. “When peaceful protest devolves into hate and antisemitic violence, the line is crossed and will not be tolerated. My office is monitoring the situation closely.”
James has served as the William S. Beinecke Visiting Professor of Public Policy in the Faculty of International and Public Affairs since 2021, according to her faculty bio.Her class, “Public Management Innovation,” is part of theExecutive MPAprogram for graduate students. (KEK)
James co-teaches with William Eimicke, a veteran of Gov. Mario Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg’s administrations. Her office noted the New York Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government had given her the green light to teach the class.
She earned $15,000 from the part-time gig in 2023, and plans to teach again in 2024, with an expected $20,000paycheck, according to a spokesperson.
Despite the widespread antisemitism plaguing the Ivy League campus — and criticism of the administration’s lax response to it — James will not drop her gig. Critics said she should as a moral imperative — and also because her office could potentially be in a position to prosecute hate crimes happening on the campus.
“This is unacceptable for a public servant who must represent all constituents without bias. I am calling on Attorney General James to prioritize the interests of New Yorkers. I call on her to immediately resign from any faculty position she holds at Columbia University, return the funds, and reaffirm her commitment to serving the people of New York State with undivided loyalty and integrity,” saidMichael Henry, who ran against James in 2022 and is considering another stab at the AG office.
As State Attorney General, James has wide authority to take action against potential hate crimes happening at Columbia. This week, Khymani James, a leader of the Columbia protests, was busted in a video saying that “Zionists “don’t deserve to live.”
So far James’ office has taken no action.
James plans to recuse herself from any AG investigation of Columbia, her office said.Columbia University has been engulfed by scandal since students erected an anti-Israel tent encampment on the university grounds.
After initially calling in the NYPD to clear out the mob, Columbia President Nemat Shafik has taken to negotiating with students, facing calls to resign both from progressives and most recently from House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“Attorney General James has spent her career fighting against discrimination and protecting all our communities. Through her modest teaching role, she believes that she can have a positive impact on students at Columbia, especially at a time when it’s needed most,” her office told The Post.
https://nypost.com/2024/04/27/us-news/letitia-james-condemns-columbia-even-as-she-makes-tens-of-thousands-from-them/