Columbia University has hired Manhattan litigator Roberta Kaplan to defend it in a Jewish student’s lawsuit over the school’s handling of pro-Palestine protests on campus.
Kaplan, who recently represented New York advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in her $83 million defamation suit against ex-President Donald Trump, joined the Columbia case earlier this week. The proposed class action alleges the school failed to provide “a safe, in-person learning environment” amid the weeks-long protests.
The case features prominent litigators on both sides: Chicago lawyer Jay Edelson, who made his name taking on major tech companies over privacy violations, leads the team representing the unnamed student. It comes as the Manhattan university has been rocked by unrest related to the protests, which resulted in more than 100 arrests on Tuesday.
Kaplan is a veteran trial lawyer and a founder of Kaplan Hecker Fink, which won the jury verdict for Carroll in January. The firm also brought a lawsuit against the organizers of the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on behalf of people who were injured at the event. Its corporate client list includes Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc.
Kaplan stepped down from Time’s Up, a group supporting victims of sexual harassment, in 2021 after an investigation revealed her role helping New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo fight off harassment allegations.
Gabrielle Tenzer, a Kaplan Hecker partner, is also representing Columbia in the lawsuit. The firm did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
The student is seeking class action status to sue on behalf of all current Columbia students and a court order requiring the school to ensure “safe passage” around campus during school hours.
Columbia University is facing multiple lawsuits related to protests on-campus over the Israel-Hamas war.
Kaplan Hecker is also defending the Trustees of Columbia University in a lawsuit filed by a group accusing the school of failing to take action against antisemitism on campus. Kaplan and Tenzer are representing the school in a March lawsuit by Columbia’s chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, challenging the suspension of certain student groups.
Columbia and other universities are expected to see legal bills spike in response to Congressional investigations and lawsuits over their handling of antisemitism complaints. The school spends more than $30 million per year on legal fees.
The case is C.S. v. The Trustees of Columbia Univ. in the City of N.Y., S.D.N.Y., 1:24-cv-03232.
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