Former Columbia University Student Who Called For Murdering Zionists is Suing to End His Suspension

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Khymani James is the former Columbia University student who has called for killing of all “Zionists,” and has expressed his fervent wish to do it himself, if only he has the chance. Virginia Foxx is the Republican congresswoman who, as chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, has been investigating how universities have failed to deal with antisemitism on their campuses. One result of the committee’s hearings has been Columbia University’s decision to suspend those students who have made death threats to the people of Israel. The most egregious issuer of such threats has been Khymani James, who was suspended by Columbia — not permanently expelled — so that he would have time to reconsider his homicidal statements, and to withdraw them. He has not done so, and instead has doubled down, repeating his desire to “kill all Zionists.” Because of his failure to withdraw his previous remarks, Columbia has continued to suspend him, but still offers him the chance to reconsider, and possibly, to be reinstated as a student in the fall of 2026.

He hasn’t done so, but instead has decided to sue Virginia Foxx for holding the hearings on the failure of university administrations, including Columbia, to make their campuses safe for Jewish students. One result of those hearings was that Columbia decided to adopt a sterner attitude toward anti-Israel statements that grade into outright antisemitism. The suspension of Khymani James was one result. Now he’s hoping to make some money by suing Representative Foxx for holding the hearings that led to his being suspended by Columbia. More on Khymani James and his lawsuit can be found here: “Student Who Called for Death of Zionists Sues US Rep. Virginia Foxx Over Suspension From Columbia University,” by Corey Walker, Algemeiner, February 6, 2026:

A suspended Columbia University student who said Zionists do not deserve to live and are lucky he has not resorted to killing them himself has filed a federal lawsuit against US Rep. Virginia Foxx, alleging the North Carolina Republican used her former position as chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce to retaliate against him for his criticism of Israel, according to court filings submitted Wednesday in New York.

The lawsuit, James v. Foxx, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, claims Foxx “abused her role and authority” by targeting the plaintiff, Khymani James, in connection with congressional investigations into campus antisemitism, actions which, the suit says, ultimately contributed to his suspension from Columbia University. James’ attorney, Jonathan Wallace, argues those actions violated his client’s First Amendment rights and constituted unlawful retaliation for protected speech.

The suit takes umbrage with an October 2024 report filed by Foxx’s office called “Antisemitism on College Campuses,” which, according to Wallace, “falsely calls him an antisemite.” The legal team argues that James’ suspension from the Ivy League university and the potential expansion of that suspension to an indefinite time frame “were baldfaced attempts to propitiate Foxx and the committee.”

The complaint emphasizes that the student’s speech was political, not discriminatory, stating explicitly that “James is not an antisemite” and alleging that his criticism of Israeli government policy was falsely conflated with antisemitism. According to the filing, the plaintiff contends that Foxx’s conduct was an attempt to “blight James’ education, career, and life, all in retaliation for their First Amendment-protected speech.”…

Khymani James’ expression of eagerness to murder Israelis — “I’d kill them all” — may be protected speech under the First Amendment, but that does not mean a private entity, in this case Columbia University, cannot decide for itself whether those who repeatedly issue death threats should be automatically tolerated or whether the university has a right to regulate such speech on campus.

Facing criticism from lawmakers and Jewish advocacy groups over its hesitance to discipline students who perpetrated antisemitism, Columbia suspended James in April 2024, saying he would be eligible to return in the fall of 2025. In response, he sued the university, alleging that the measure was racist and aimed at “privileging a subset of Jewish people.”

The university suspended James for repeatedly claiming he wanted to kill the Jews of Israel. How did this “privilege a subset of Jewish people”? Is it a “privilege” to be protected from death threats? What if a branch of the KKK on the campus of Ole Miss called for killing “all black people in Mississippi”? Would that be treated as protected speech? Would that “privilege” a subset of black people?

The suit charged twice that Columbia University favored Jews over “nonJews [sic].”…

Non-Jews were not the object of James’ death threats. Had they been, had he for example said “I want to kill all white people,” would suspending him for such remarks “favor whites over non-whites”? Columbia did not “favor Jews over non-Jews,” but suspended any student who repeatedly made death threats against Jews, just as it would do if the threats were made against any other group as, for example, Muslims. How long would a student remain enrolled at Columbia, do you think, if he repeatedly said “I want to kill all Muslims” or “I want to kill all Palestinians”?

James’ new lawsuit against Foxx comes amid ongoing intense national debate over campus protests following Hamas’s Oct. 7 atrocities, with Foxx emerging as a leading congressional voice pressing universities to take stronger action against antisemitism. The complaint argues that congressional oversight powers were used not for legitimate legislative purposes but to silence his anti-Israel advocacy.

It was not James’ “anti-Israel advocacy” that was objectionable, but the repeated death threats he made to “kill them [Israeli Jews] all.” There is a difference.

Given the vehemence of Khymani James’ repeatedly expressed desire to “kill them [Israelis] all,” when Columbia provided him with a chance, over two years, to withdraw his remarks, his continued suspension seems justified. Such statements may be considered as calls to “imminent lawless action” by others and thus, under the rule enunciated in Brandenburg v. Ohio, no longer be protected speech. Furthermore, the remarks of Virginia Foxx during hearings of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce would have legal immunity under the Speech or Debate Clause for actions within the legislative sphere, including speeches, voting, and conducting hearings. Khymani James is going to learn that lesson the hard way. And Columbia, I suspect, won’t be readmitting him in the fall of 2026.