New York’s attorney general has opened an investigation into Columbia University’s handling of sex‑abuse claims against a former doctor, and a federal judge has vacated disciplinary punishments against students who occupied Hamilton Hall during pro‑Palestinian protests. The attorney general is reviewing the university’s actions following the 2012 arrest and later conviction of a Columbia gynecologist. Separately, the judge’s decision rescinded expulsions, suspensions and degree revocations handed to demonstrators. Both developments highlight simultaneous legal and reputational pressure on the institution: one probe examines institutional compliance with safeguarding obligations, the other questions due process and disciplinary decision‑making. University leaders and trustees now face civil‑legal risk, potential changes to complaint handling, and renewed scrutiny of campus discipline protocols and transparency.