Columbia University interim president Katrina Armstrong stated that the mask bans that will be instituted on the Columbia campus are "real" following the controversy over her alleged remarks to faculty that there will be no mask ban, the New York Post reported. “I regret any confusion and inconsistent statements and want to make sure our position is clear as we go forward," Armstrong stated today (Tuesday). “Let there be no confusion: I commit to seeing these changes implemented, with the full support of Columbia’s senior leadership team and the Board of Trustees," she said. "Any suggestion that these measures are illusory, or lack my personal support, is unequivocally false. These changes are real, and they are right for Columbia." Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Armstrong assured faculty in private conversations that the university would not bar the wearing of masks at protests despite agreeing to do so in its agreement with the government. Related articles: Trump Admin. pushes Columbia to double down on mask ban Judge blocks deportation of student involved in Gaza protests Columbia University faculty sue Trump administration 'Restoration of Columbia funding not guaranteed, depends on acts' On Friday, Armstrong announced a series of reforms at Columbia, including placing the university’s Middle East studies department under new oversight, revising protest and student discipline policies, and adopting a new definition of antisemitism. As part of the agreement, Columbia is supposed to prohibit masks on campus, grant 36 campus police officers expanded authority to arrest students, and appoint a senior vice provost with broad oversight over the Department of Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies, as well as the Center for Palestine Studies.
