Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who long standing support of Columbia University, has severed ties with the school, amid ongoing antisemitism on campus.
“It was through the full academic scholarship Columbia gave me that I was able to attend college and get my start in life and for that I have been tremendously grateful,” Kraft said in a statement by the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.
“However, the school I love so much — the one that welcomed me and provided me with so much opportunity — is no longer an institution I recognize.
I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country. I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken. It is my hope that Columbia and its leadership will stand up to this hate by ending these protests immediately and will work to earn back the respect and trust of the many of us who have lost faith in the institution. It is my hope that in this difficult time, the Kraft Center at Columbia will serve as a source of security and safety for all Jewish students and faculty on campus who want to gather peacefully to practice their religion, to be together, and to be welcomed.”
On Monday, the school shifted to virtual classroom sessions.
Freedom of speech is one thing. When it veers into physical or verbal or emotional harassment of others, an important line has been crossed.
Everyone has the freedom to express an opinion. No one has the right to express opinions in a way that infringes on someone else’s freedom to live, work, and learn in a safe, secure environment. Why would any decent person want to do that?
