As a response to the tense climate on campus at Barnard College and Columbia University since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, students at Barnard may no longer display messages on their dorm doors, said an email from Leslie Grinage, the college’s dean.

Some students at Barnard and Columbia University, of which it is a part, have placed signs on their dormitory doors charging Israel with genocide in Gaza and of being an illegitimate state. In response, Jewish students have filed a lawsuit, accusing both schools of failing to protect students from “pervasive” antisemitism and anti-Zionism. “Anti-Zionism is not merely a political movement — although many try to disguise it as such — but is a direct attack against Israel as a Jewish collectivity,” the suit reads.

Barnard officials said the new dorm policy is intended to foster an atmosphere “where everybody feels welcome and safe… While many decorations and fixtures on doors serve as a means of helpful communication amongst peers, we are also aware that some may have the unintended effect of isolating those who have different views and beliefs,” the email statement said.