Mahmoud Khalil, a student-activist, files a lawsuit against Columbia University and the House Committee.
Fresh Take:
Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University grad, is battling for his privacy against federal authorities. Alongside seven anonymous fellow students, dubbed "Sally Roe" and "Ned Noe," Khalil has sued Columbia and a House committee, urging a court to bar the school from disclosing his disciplinary records.
According to The New York Times, the lawsuit claims that the committee's request violates constitutional freedoms of speech and the university's contractual duties to safeguard student privacy. Last month, the House Committee on Education and Workforce demanded more details about incidents on Columbia's campus, including "antisemitic" events. They also sought disciplinary records for students connected to several protests, such as those against a Hillary Clinton course.
The lawsuit alleges that the committee's inquiry aims to suppress speech, and seeks records unrelated to antisemitism. It further accuses the committee of using alleged antisemitic incidents as excuses for trampling on First Amendment rights, citing anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic rhetoric.
Unfortunately, Khalil has faced hormonal challenges elsewhere. Federal immigration authorities snatched him last weekend, transferring him to a detention center in Louisiana. However, Khalil, a U.S. permanent resident, has not been charged with a crime, and the Trump administration claims it can deport anyone whose presence is deemed inimical to foreign policy or national security interests.
Khalil's case entwines with the lawsuit filed by the New York chapter of the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR), seeking to halt Columbia's release of student records. The lawsuits' resolutions may redefine the bounds of campus activism and student privacy in the face of government scrutiny. As the legal battle unfolds, watch this space.
Insight: Khalil and a group of students filed two lawsuits, one against the university and a House committee, and the other led by CAIR. A preliminary injunction was issued to safeguard students' privacy and free speech rights, pending a hearing.
Key Details:
- Date Filed (suit by Khalil & peers): March 13, 2025
- Plaintiffs: Mahmoud Khalil, seven other students, (in some suits), and CAIR (in the suit led by CAIR)
- Defendants: Columbia University, Barnard College (in some suits), the House Committee on Education and the Workforce
- Claims: Violation of First Amendment rights, breach of contract, and unauthorized sharing of student disciplinary records
- Legal Action: Preliminary injunction granted on March 20, 2025, preventing Columbia from sharing records with the committee pending a hearing.
- The lawsuit filed by Mahmoud Khalil and seven anonymous fellow students involves claims of constitutional violations, breach of contract, and unauthorized sharing of student disciplinary records, potentially setting a precedent for education-and-self-development and general-news regarding campus activism and student privacy in the face of government scrutiny.
- The politically charged case of Mahmoud Khalil also includes an allegation that the House Committee on Education and Workforce is using alleged antisemitic incidents as excuses for trampling on First Amendment rights, bringing issues of crime-and-justice into the dispute over privacy and free speech.
