Fox News: Stefanik accuses Columbia president of 'pro-terrorist' professor 'cover-up,' warns of potential felony

FIRST ON FOX – House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., accused Columbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik of attempting to "cover-up" for a "pro-terrorist" professor who had celebrated the Oct. 7 attacks, during her congressional testimony this week. 

"A reminder to President Shafik that knowingly misleading Congress is a felony," Stefanik warned in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital. "Despite Columbia President Shafik’s testimony, there has been NO action to fire or discipline pro-terrorist and antisemitic faculty chair Professor Joseph Massad." 

"Columbia has attempted to cover up for Shafik’s lies updating their website to show Massad as ‘outgoing chair’ but refuse to immediately remove him despite Shafik committing to at the hearing," Stefanik continued. "Meanwhile, Massad claims no one from the University has even spoken to him about his hateful statements or any investigation." 

"Shafik’s false testimony and refusal to address the severity of the rampant antisemitism on her campus is an affront to the Jewish students and faculty at Columbia under her failed leadership," she said. 

Stefanik and other House Republicans hammered Shafik during Wednesday's House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing to discuss pervasive antisemitism at the Ivy League school, demanding to know what consequences, if any, Professor Joseph Massad faced after writing an article praising the Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel by Hamas militants as "awesome," "astonishing," "astounding" and "incredible." 

Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., asserted that Massad's piece glorified Hamas' slaughter of nearly 1,200 Jews.

Asked whether Massad faced any disciplinary action, Shafik testified that the professor had been "spoken to" by the head of his department of Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies and his dean. Though the university president said she was had not been a part of those discussions, Shafik said to Congress that Massad was told that the language he used in his article "was unacceptable." 

But Massad's statements to CNN after the congressional hearing contradicted Shafik's testimony. 

"I was shown solidarity by my chair and deans based on the death threats that I received and the campaign targeting me," he reportedly told CNN Thursday regarding prior talks. 

You can read the full story at FoxNews.com.