Jewish Groups Use KKK Act to Fight Antisemitism at Columbia

Since the attack of October 7, Columbia University has been hit with a flurry of lawsuits accusing the school of failing to address the resulting surge in antisemitism, but a new complaint filed last week employs a little-used, 19th-century law to hold the university to account: The Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871.

When Columbia administrators failed to prevent organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) from occupying areas of campus and violating the rights of Jewish students, they violated the Ku Klux Klan act, according to attorney Marc Kasowitz.

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Zach Kessel

Zach Kessel was a William F. Buckley Jr. Fellow in Political Journalism and a recent graduate of Northwestern University.

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Since the attack of October 7, Columbia University has been hit with a flurry of lawsuits accusing the school of failing to address the resulting surge in antisemitism, but a new complaint filed last week employs a little-used, 19th-century law to hold the university to account: The Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871.

When Columbia administrators failed to prevent organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) from occupying areas of campus and violating the rights of Jewish students, they violated the Ku Klux Klan act, according to attorney Marc Kasowitz.