A former Columbia University student who declared that Zionists don’t deserve to live has filed a federal lawsuit against Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, claiming she violated his First Amendment rights by pressuring the school to remove him.

The Lawsuit and Its Claims

Khymani James, 22, filed the Manhattan Federal Court lawsuit targeting North Carolina Representative Virginia Foxx, who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. James was suspended from Columbia in April 2024 for one year after leading anti-Israel campus encampments. The university later refused his attempt to re-enroll. James claims Foxx abused her congressional authority when she criticized Columbia for failing to expel him permanently.

In his court filing, James accused Foxx’s committee of recreating the McCarthy era role of the House Un-American Activities Committee. He argued that congressional pressure resulted in student suspensions, professor terminations, and university funding threats. The Boston native also claimed that Foxx deliberately conflated anti-Zionism with antisemitism to justify her actions against him.

Background and Controversial Statements

James gained notoriety for his inflammatory remarks during campus protests. Besides declaring that Zionists don’t deserve to live, he also stated that he hated white people. Despite these comments, James maintains in his lawsuit that he is not antisemitic. He defended his statements on social media, writing that he would not allow anyone to shame him for his politics and that he meant everything he said.

Congressional Response and Implications

Representative Foxx, 82, dismissed the lawsuit’s credibility and defended her committee’s antisemitism investigation. She stated that she remains committed to protecting Jewish students from discrimination on college campuses nationwide. James is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order preventing Foxx from interfering with his constitutional rights. The case highlights ongoing tensions between congressional oversight of higher education and claims of government overreach in campus free speech matters.