Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over alleged harassment and retaliation
Palestinian activist claims university's 'deliberate indifference' led to doxing and his detention.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

FILE - Mahmoud Khalil speaks during a news conference in New York, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) (Seth Wenig, Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Photograph: WKMG (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil is suing Columbia University, alleging the institution failed to address harassment and retaliated against pro-Palestinian students.
- The lawsuit claims the university's "deliberate indifference" led to the doxing of group members and Khalil's detention by immigration agents.
- Khalil, who spent 104 days in immigration jail, is seeking restoration of his campus access and an end to his group's suspension.
- The case was filed in federal court in New York City.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 31 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 2 of the 33 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
61/100
Hype
20/100
33 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 3 of the 31 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Columbia University. He alleges the university failed to address harassment against him and other members of a pro-Palestinian campus group, and retaliated against them when they reported these issues. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York City, claims the university's "deliberate indifference" resulted in the doxing of multiple group members and Khalil's subsequent detention by immigration agents.
Khalil, a former graduate student at Columbia and a spokesperson for student activists protesting Israel's actions in Gaza, stated at a news conference that the university's actions constituted "discrimination aimed at intimidating Palestinian students." He is seeking a court order to restore his campus access and end the suspension of the pro-Palestinian group. Khalil spent 104 days in an immigration jail, and his deportation case remains active.
Disagreement on university response
The lawsuit states that Columbia "refused to correct disinformation" about Khalil while he was detained, allowing a false narrative to persist and enabling peer-on-peer harassment. It also claims the university characterized events by the pro-Palestinian group as security risks and revised disciplinary policy to target criticism of the Israeli government. The university declined to comment on the lawsuit but issued a statement affirming its commitment to creating a safe and welcoming campus environment, free from discrimination and harassment.
What the coverage left out
None of the left or centre-rated reports printed below mention the specific amount of damages Mahmoud Khalil is seeking in his lawsuit, stating only that they are "to be determined at trial."
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 6 times, most recently on 14 Sept 2026, 20:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.

Campus Protest Mahmoud Khalil
Daily Journal — embedded from source
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
18 rated outlets
- Twelve left‑rated outlets ran a digest about Mahmoud Khalil’s federal lawsuit against Columbia University. All digests led with the claim that Khalil, a Palestinian activist, alleges the university failed to protect him and other members of a pro‑Palestinian campus group.
- Several digests added that the suit accuses Columbia of deliberate indifference, noting that the university allegedly refused to correct disinformation about Khalil and retaliated against activists who reported harassment, including claims of doxing. The Washington Sun, ABC News, Bangor Daily News and The Daily Advance included these extra allegations.
- None of the left‑rated digests reproduced a response from Columbia University or quoted university officials. They also omitted any discussion of potential monetary damages or settlement figures, focusing solely on the allegations and the activist’s perspective.
Centre
10 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports focused on Mahmoud Khalil suing Columbia University for failing to protect pro-Palestinian activists. They consistently reported that the university's "deliberate indifference" led to the doxing of group members and Khalil's detention by immigration agents. These reports also included Khalil's statement that the university failed to address harassment and retaliated against the group when they reported it. The university's statement about its commitment to a safe campus environment was also noted.
Right
3 rated outlets
- Anadolu Ajansı’s digest reported that Mahmoud Khalil is suing Columbia University, describing the case as a claim of systematic discrimination. MY Northwest’s digest added that Khalil alleges the university failed to address harassment of a pro‑Palestinian student group, that its alleged deliberate indifference led to the doxing of members and his detention by immigration officials. Breitbart’s digest echoed the allegation that Columbia did not protect the activists.
- None of the right‑rated digests mention any response from Columbia University, any court dates, or the potential financial impact of the lawsuit. They also omit reference to any university policies, statements from officials, or broader campus climate discussions. No digest provides a cost estimate or details about the civil case’s procedural status.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over alleged harassment and…?
- Of the 31 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 58% are rated left, 32% are rated centre, 10% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 33. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over alleged harassment and… left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 31 rated outlets on this story, 58% are rated left, 32% are rated centre, 10% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over alleged harassment and… biased?
- Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over alleged harassment and retaliation is one event reported by 33 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over alleged harassment and…?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia University over alleged harassment and…?
- 33 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Why is Mahmoud Khalil suing Columbia University?
- Mahmoud Khalil is suing Columbia University alleging it failed to address harassment against him and other pro-Palestinian students and retaliated against them when they reported it. He claims the university's "deliberate indifference" led to doxing and his detention by immigration agents.
- What does the lawsuit ask for?
- The lawsuit requests a court order to restore Mahmoud Khalil's campus access and to end the suspension of the pro-Palestinian group he is associated with. It also seeks damages to be determined at trial.
- What happened to Mahmoud Khalil after his detention?
- Mahmoud Khalil spent 104 days in an immigration jail following his detention. His deportation case remains active, and he missed the birth of his first child during his time in detention.
Read it at the source
33 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
18- Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia over alleged treatment of pro-Palestinian activists (opens Gothamist in a new tab)
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens Los Angeles Times in a new tab)
Los Angeles Times — is Los Angeles Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists - Boston News, Weather, Sports (opens WHDH in a new tab)
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens The Daily Star in a new tab)
The Daily Star — is The Daily Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens Joplin Globe in a new tab)
Joplin Globe — is Joplin Globe biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil Sues Columbia Over Its Treatment of Pro-Palestinian Activists (opens washingtonsun.com in a new tab)
washingtonsun.com — is washingtonsun.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil sues Columbia for showing 'deliberate indifference' to harassment (opens ABC News in a new tab)
- Mahmoud Khalil files lawsuit accusing Columbia of failing to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens NY Daily News in a new tab)
NY Daily News — is NY Daily News biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 10 more
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens Richmond Register in a new tab)
Richmond Register — is Richmond Register biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens The Daily Advance in a new tab)
The Daily Advance — is The Daily Advance biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens Bangor Daily News in a new tab)
Bangor Daily News — is Bangor Daily News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil Sues Columbia University (opens The New Republic in a new tab)
The New Republic — is The New Republic biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens Durango Herald in a new tab)
Durango Herald — is Durango Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
10- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists – WTOP News (opens Washington Top News in a new tab)
Washington Top News — is Washington Top News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘Columbia Did Not Care’: Mahmoud Khalil Files Doxxing Lawsuit Against University (opens Forbes in a new tab)
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens My Mother Lode in a new tab)
My Mother Lode — is My Mother Lode biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens Yakima Herald-Republic in a new tab)
Yakima Herald-Republic — is Yakima Herald-Republic biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens WFMZ in a new tab)
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens Daily Journal in a new tab)
Daily Journal — is Daily Journal biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens WKMG in a new tab)
Show 2 more
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens NY1 in a new tab)
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens Winnipeg Free Press in a new tab)
Winnipeg Free Press — is Winnipeg Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
3- Pro-Palestinian Activist Sues Columbia University over 'Systematic Discrimination' (opens Anadolu Ajansı in a new tab)
Anadolu Ajansı — is Anadolu Ajansı biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens MY Northwest in a new tab)
MY Northwest — is MY Northwest biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists (opens Breitbart in a new tab)
Not rated
2How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.


