In a recent questioning session, House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik confronted CUNY Chancellor Dr. Félix Rodríguez regarding the rise of antisemitism on campus and the university’s response to such incidents. Stefanik highlighted specific instances at Baruch College and Hunter College where Jewish students faced antisemitic harassment.
Stefanik asked Rodríguez about disciplinary actions taken against students involved in these incidents. Rodríguez acknowledged the seriousness of the statements but did not provide specifics on disciplinary measures, stating that investigations were ongoing with involvement from the New York City Police Department.
Stefanik also questioned the hiring of Abd Alla as CUNY’s chief diversity officer, noting her previous employment with CAIR, an organization linked to Hamas. Rodríguez stated he was not directly responsible for her hire and emphasized that any employee breaking CUNY policies would be investigated.
Further inquiries by Stefanik focused on CUNY CLEAR, a legal clinic associated with CUNY School of Law, which she claimed had ties to Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Hamas agitator. Rodríguez reiterated that decisions regarding faculty and staff are made at individual campuses but assured that any antisemitic behavior would be addressed through investigations.
Throughout the exchange, Stefanik expressed dissatisfaction with what she perceived as inaction from CUNY leadership in addressing antisemitism on campus.
