Stefanik Grills Cuny Chancellor on anti -Semitism, Gammé Cross incident

The representative Elise Stefanik, RN.Y., shredd the Chancellor of the University of the City of New York (Cuny) on the institution’s response to anti -Semitism and the bonds of teachers with Mahmoud Khalil.

During an education in the chamber and the hearing of the workforce committee, Stefanik asked to know why the students were forced to walk under the graffiti of a massive swastoded cross for hours while entering the main building of the Hunter College. While Cuny’s Chancellor, Dr. Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, said that he thought that the symbol was “deplorable”, he said that the delay in the leash was due to the fact that the case was referred to the New York police crime unit for investigation.

Stefanik deplored that there was a university investigation, but “no real action” against the administrator Cuny who had responded to the request of the Hunter College Director of Jewish Studies that the Gammée Cross was deleted.

The administrator, which Stefanik did not appoint, wrote in an email, “apologies, but it is not so simple”, according to a screenshot of the e-mail displayed during the hearing.

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Representative Elise Stefanik during a Chamber Committee on Education and the Audience of the Workman in Washington, DC, Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (Kent Nishimura / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Stefanik also hammered Rodriguez to find out if he was aware that Saly Abd Alla, who is the head of the diversity of Cuny, was previously used by the American-Islamic Relations Council (CAIR).

Rodriguez said he was not involved in Abd Alla’s hiring decision, but admitted that she had remained employed by Cuny at the time of the hearing.

“Is it going from your point of view? Obviously, is it to have a former Cair employee. Allow me to remind you, Cair was co-conspirator in a case of terrorist funding and has links with Hamas, an designated terrorist organization,” said Stefanik.

“So no action, just words here today,” said the deputy, adding that Abd Alla’s salary is paid by New York taxpayers.

“We have the expectations of total professionalism and respect for all Cuny’s rules and policies. Any employee who breaks our policies or rules will be the subject of an investigation,” said Rodriguez.

Stefanik replied: “But that obviously does not eliminate Cuny’s rules to have a main employee who was previously employed by an organization affiliated with the terrorist. It is unacceptable for New York taxpayers. It is unacceptable for American taxpayers.”

The member of the Congress also pressed Rodriguez to find out if he knew Cuny Clear, which she described as the “clinical branch of the Cuny School of Law”.

Dr. Félix Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor of the University of the City of New York, testifies during a committee of the Chamber on education and the audience of the workforce on July 15, 2025. (Win McNamee / Getty images)

“The founder and professor Cuny Clear is the head of the legal defense fund of Mahmoud Khalil. Are you aware of it?” She asked, referring to the anti-Israeli activist at Columbia University.

Rodriguez testified that he was not aware.

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Although Stefanik did not mention a name, she seemed to refer to Professor Ramzi Kassem, the founder of Cuny Cary, or “Creation of the responsibility and responsibility of the police”. Kassem manages Khalil’s defense efforts.

Khalil, a former student graduated from the University of Columbia who led the anti-Israeli camp on the campus of this school, was arrested by American immigration and the application of customs (ICE) in March. The Trump administration cited a rare provision arguing that its activism was harmful to American foreign policy. He spent more than 100 days in an ICE installation in Louisiana before a federal judge gave his release in the midst of hearings being deported. Khalil is looking for $ 20 million in the Trump administration for his detention.

“Does this concern you that New York taxpayers pay the salary of the Mahmoud Khalil legal defense fund?” Stefanik asked. “And I’m going to remind you who is Mahmoud Khalil. It is the main pro-Hamas agitator that led to anti-Semitic camps in Columbia, riots and the violent takeover of Hamilton Hall, harassment and physical assault of Jewish students.”

Anti-Israeli demonstrators hold a press conference and gather in front of the University of the City of New York (Cuny) on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Selcuk Acar / Anadolu via Getty Images)

Rodriguez said that the University did not tolerate any kind of anti -Semitism, but Stefanik interrupted: “But you allow the chief of the clinical legal organization and a professor to be the main legal aid of Mahmoud Khalil and to do his legal defense fund.”

“These decisions are made in clinics, are made on individual campuses,” said Rodriguez.

The member of the Congress replied: “It goes up to you. You are the chancellor.”

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Although Rodriguez said anti -Semitism would not be tolerated and promised an investigation, he refused to respond if the member of the faculty dealing with Khalil’s defense would be dismissed from Cuny.

“Let me make a prediction. No disciplinary measures. This individual will not be dismissed because these are all words. No action. You have failed the residents of New York. You failed Jewish students in New York State. And that’s a shame,” said Stefanik.