Stephen Coffey is a Columbia University graduate student and teaching assistant in the Department of Astronomy who was found in January 2025 to have inserted political and ideological content into course materials for an undergraduate astronomy lab, in violation of university policy and departmental guidance.
Improper Use of Classroom Materials
In January 2025, Coffey was responsible for lab materials for an astronomy course session titled “Lab 01: Units and Orders of Magnitude.” Despite the course having no academic relation to Middle East politics, Coffey inserted a section titled “Astronomy in Palestine” into the official lab notes.
The material instructed students to “understand the privileges” of studying astronomy without “worrying about being caught in an airstrike” and asserted that a “genocide” was being committed in Palestine. The content framed political claims as factual instruction within a required science course.
Coffey also directed students to read activist-oriented articles, including “Wonder and the Life of Palestinian Astronomy” and “In Gaza, Scanning the Sky for Stars, not Drones.” These materials were not part of the approved curriculum and were unrelated to the scientific subject matter of the lab.
Columbia University Response
Following complaints and internal review, Columbia University publicly condemned the conduct and confirmed that Coffey had violated university policy.
In a statement dated January 28, 2025, Columbia said:
“A graduate student serving as a teaching assistant in our Astronomy department was found to have inserted political views within the lab notes for a class session, in violation of University policy and specific Department guidance. We regret that this unacceptable breach of policy took place and apologize to the students enrolled in the class. The violation is being addressed through the University’s processes, and we are implementing additional review procedures.”
The university emphasized that the conduct was unacceptable and that corrective measures were being taken.
Activist Activity and Online Presence
Coffey appears to have participated in the Hind’s Hall protests at Columbia in April 2024. His X (formerly Twitter) biography included the phrase “Hind Hall Forever,” referencing the illegal occupation and renaming of Hamilton Hall during pro-Hamas campus protests.
Coffey’s Linktree also reportedly linked to multiple activist and indoctrination-oriented resources, including a document titled “Free Palestine Master Document,” which compiles political advocacy materials rather than academic sources.
Significance
This incident highlights the misuse of instructional authority by a graduate teaching assistant to introduce political advocacy into a mandatory science course, bypassing departmental oversight and violating institutional safeguards designed to protect students from ideological coercion in the classroom.
It also underscores ongoing concerns at Columbia regarding the politicization of coursework unrelated to Middle East politics and the enforcement of academic neutrality standards.
