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Mamdani threatens Columbia University with lawsuit if NYC school won't open to public
New York Post • • nation
Key Points:
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani is threatening legal action against Columbia University to reopen College Walk, a pedestrian path on the university’s Morningside Heights campus that has been closed for three years since 2023 protests.
- The city, under Mamdani’s administration, now supports reopening the walkway, reversing the previous stance under former Mayor Eric Adams that pedestrian access was not required.
- Neighborhood residents sued both the city and Columbia University in January 2025, claiming the path was meant to remain public following a historic agreement when the land was sold to the university.
- Mamdani emphasized the issue is about honoring longstanding public access agreements, not related to his political views or the student protests over the Israel-Gaza conflict.
- Columbia University maintains that College Walk is private property and asserts its right to control access to protect the campus community and academic operations.
