The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce alleges that Claire Shipman, now acting president of Columbia University, previously suggested removing a Jewish trustee and
endorsed appointing an Arab member to the board, according to a letter released Tuesday.
The letter, signed by Republican Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York and Tim Walberg of Michigan, cites text messages from early 2024 when Shipman was still a university trustee. In one January message, Shipman reportedly wrote, “I just don’t think she should be on the board,” referring to trustee Shoshana Shendelman.
Shendelman, a Columbia alumna and vocal critic of campus antisemitism, had called for stronger action against pro-Palestinian protests. In April 2024, Shipman and Board Vice Chair Wanda Greene allegedly exchanged messages questioning Shendelman’s loyalty, with Shipman agreeing that she was "so, so tired" of her.
“These exchanges raise the question of why you appeared to support removing one of the board’s most outspoken Jewish advocates during a period of intense concern about antisemitism on campus,” the letter states.
The committee also highlighted another message from Shipman, allegedly from January 2024, suggesting the board add someone “from the Middle East or who is Arab.” Lawmakers said the comment raises questions about the university’s priorities in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel.
Additionally, the letter criticizes Shipman for remarks made in October 2023 to then-president Minouche Shafik, in which she described student concerns about antisemitism as “not necessarily a rational feeling,” though “deep and quite threatening.” The committee called her description “perplexing,” given reported harassment of Jewish and Israeli students at the time.
Columbia responded in a statement to JTA, claiming the texts were taken out of context and originated during a turbulent time. “These communications... reflect a particularly difficult moment in time for the University,” the statement read. It added that Columbia remains committed to combating antisemitism and is actively working with the federal government.
Shipman became acting president in March 2025 after her predecessor, Katrina Armstrong, stepped down amid federal scrutiny. That same month, the government pulled $400 million in grants over concerns about antisemitism on campus. In May, Shipman approved mass arrests of pro-Palestinian protesters, signaling a shift in university policy under federal pressure. Photo by Momos, Wikimedia commons.