Former Columbia University Interim President interviewed by the federal government
Investigators from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) interviewed former Columbia University interim president Katrina Armstrong on campus on anti-Semitism, a report said.
The Wall Street Journal reported that HHS investigators interviewed Armstrong on April 1 after resigning on March 28. Armstrong also announced that she also announced that she served from Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where she is CEO.
During the testimony, Armstrong said she had no idea of the allegations that Jewish students were spitting, nor the names of several faculty members, who allegedly distributed pro-Hammas materials defending the October 7, 2023 attack.
Armstrong also said she did not know Columbia University students calling for the destruction of Israel.
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Columbia University was undated photos provided by interim president Dr. Katrina A. Armstrong on August 16, 2024. (Jorg Meyer Photography/Columbia University via AP)
Sean Keveney, acting general counsel for HHS, was not satisfied with Armstrong's answer, according to part of the transcript released by the Wall Street Journal.
“I just want to understand how you have such a terrible memory of specific events of anti-Semitism when you are obviously a smart doctor,” Kevinney said.
“It's a very, very challenging year,” Armstrong told HHS officials, according to the New York Times.
She added: “I don’t have the contents of this report sitting here or the specific memories I recall from this report.”
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Student protesters gather at the camp on the New York Columbia University campus on April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
The former interim president of Columbia University said several times in his testimony that some parts of the past year were “vague” and said she had problems remembering specific details.
The Columbia University Board of Trustees tried to separate itself from the testimony of HHS officials in a statement.
“Columbia University is committed to addressing the issues raised by our federal regulators in terms of discrimination, harassment and anti-Semitism,” the board said. “This testimony does not reflect the university’s hard work in combating anti-Semitism, harassment and discrimination and ensures the safety and well-being of our communities.”
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President Donald Trump speaks at a National Republican Congressional Committee dinner in Washington, DC on April 8, 2025. (Reuters/Nathan Howard)
Armstrong's testimony to HHS after the Trump administration handed over $400 million to the agency in March. Negotiations on recovery funding began with the university agreeing to several requirements, such as improving protest policies.
Fox News Digital approached HHS and Columbia University for comment.
Alec Schemmel of Fox News contributed to the report.
