Columbia University president quizzed on woke words like ‘folx’ — suggests staffers ‘don’t know how to spell’
What the “folx”?
Columbia University’s president was grilled during a tense House hearing Wednesday about a glossary of woke terms distributed to students that included the words “Ashkenormativity” and “folx” — leading her to suggest at one point that administrators at the Ivy League institution “don’t know how to spell.”
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) asked Minouche Shafik whether she could enlighten the House Education and Workforce Committee about the bewildering glossary of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)-related words highlighted by the university’s School of Social Work.
“President Shafik, I understand you’re very proud of the Columbia University School of Social Work,” Banks began. “Can you define for us the word ‘Ashkenormativity’?”
“I’m not familiar with that term,” Shafik replied. “I believe it appeared in a student glossary.”
“It appears in the orientation guidebook that’s given to all of the students at the School of Social Work, but you can’t define it for us?” Banks asked. “You seem to be familiar.”
“I don’t use that term. I don’t know that term,” Shafik corrected. “I don’t think it’s a product of the School of Social Work.”
“Let me read to you how ‘Ashkenormativity’ is defined,” Banks broke in, reading out the glossary’ definition that it is “a system of oppression that favors white Jewish ‘folx,’ based on the assumption that all Jewish ‘folx’ are Ashkenazi, or from Western Europe.”
“Is that appropriate?” the lawmaker asked, leaving Shafik struggling for words. “It is handed out to your students.”
“I don’t agree with it. I don’t think it’s very useful,” she conceded. “I don’t condone it.”
“Can you help me understand something else, I didn’t go to an Ivy League school admittedly,” added Banks, a graduate of Indiana University and the recipient of a MBA from Grace College & Seminary in the Hoosier State.
“Can you explain why the word ‘folx’ is spelled ‘f-o-l-x’ throughout this guide book. What does that mean?”
“They don’t know how to spell?” Shafik shrugged, causing Columbia students seated behind their president in the hearing room to burst into laughter. “I’m not familiar with that spelling.”
“I don’t find it a laughing matter,” Banks said sternly. “You are aware that it’s handed out to all of your students — and you’re not doing anything to stop it.”
Shafik told the Indiana congressman that the university does not spell the term that way, but internet sleuths quickly debunked her testimony with screenshots of official school webpages.
Banks opened up the question to other members of the Columbia panel, with Board of Trustees co-chair David Greenwald calling the “Ashkenormativity” concept “shockingly offensive” while fellow trustee board chair Claire Shipman called it “outrageous.”
Antisemitism controversy at Columbia University: Key events
- More than 280 anti-Israel demonstrators were cuffed at Columbia and the City of New York campuses overnight in a “massive” NYPD operation.
- One hundred and nine people were nabbed at the Ivy League campus after cops responded to Columbia’s request to help oust a destructive mob that had illegally taken over the Hamilton Hall academic building late Tuesday, NYC Mayor Eric Adams and police said.
- Hizzoner blamed the on-campus chaos on insurgents who have a “history of escalating situations and trying to create chaos” instead of protesting peacefully.
- Columbia’s embattled president Minouche Shafik, who has faced mounting calls to resign for not cracking down sooner, issued a statement Wednesday saying the on-campus violence had “pushed the university to the brink.”
- Columbia University president Minouche Shafik was accused of “gross negligence” while testifying before Congress. Shafik refused to say if the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is antisemitic.
- More than 100 Columbia professors signed a letter defending students who support the “military action” by Hamas.
“It fosters an environment of antisemitism at your university,” Banks added. “President, are you going to stop this from being handed out to students at the orientation of the School of Social Work?”
“We will make sure that it is not part of any orientation process,” Shafik promised Banks.
The congressman’s office told The Post that Columbia had previously posted the DEI glossary on its School of Social Work’s webpage but it had later been taken down.
“The school of Social Work confirmed that this document is under review. It is a student-generated document,” a Columbia spokesperson told The Post.
