A group of 13 conservative federal judges, all appointed by former President Donald Trump, have declared their refusal to hire law students or undergraduates from Columbia University. The boycott comes as a response to the university’s handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations on its Manhattan campus.

The judges issued a scathing letter on May 6 to Columbia President Minouche Shafik and Law Dean Gillian Lester, labeling the campus as an “incubator of bigotry” and criticizing its management of recent protests. The letter accuses professors and administrators of fueling “the virulent spread of antisemitism and bigotry” and calls for “serious consequences” for those involved in campus disruptions, Reuters reported.

“Both professors and administrators are on the front lines of the campus disruptions, encouraging the virulent spread of antisemitism and bigotry,” the letter said.

The demonstrations at Columbia, part of widespread college protests against the war in Gaza, have attracted attention nationwide. Recently, the New York Police Department intervened to dismantle an encampment set up by demonstrators on the school grounds, resulting in numerous arrests. Police also cleared protesters who had occupied a campus building.

The judges, who hire law clerks annually for prestigious clerkships that can lead to high-paying legal positions, assert that they have “lost confidence” in Columbia as an institution of higher education. They argue that the university has become a breeding ground for intolerance and therefore disqualifies itself from educating future leaders.

The letter, shared with CNN by Judge James C. Ho, Judge Elizabeth L. Branch, and Judge Matthew H. Solomson, details specific steps the university should take, including enforcing free speech rules and implementing consequences for disruptive behavior. Among the judges Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, known for his controversial decision to block broader access to the abortion pill mifepristone.

“As judges who hire law clerks every year to serve in the federal judiciary, we have lost confidence in Columbia as an institution of higher education. Columbia has instead become an incubator of bigotry. As a result, Columbia has disqualified itself from educating the future leaders of our country,” the letter states.

The judges who signed the letter are all based in Texas, and two-thirds of them were appointed by Trump.

Columbia Law School Dean Gillian Lester backed the school’s graduates on May 7, saying in a statement that Columbia Law graduates are “consistently sought out by leading employers in the private and public sectors, including the judiciary,” Reuters reported.

Photo: Columbia University protests, WHAS11 screenshot, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8nXL26KWiA