Columbia professor says bias complaint drew retaliation

A Columbia College professor is alleging her conflict with the school is threatening an upcoming conference of international scholars.

Zafra Lerman, a tenured science professor at Columbia, is a chief organizer of the Malta Conference, which brings Mideast scientists together with Nobel Laureates.

Lerman's lawyer said a complaint from the professor about discrimination at Columbia has resulted in retaliation by the school that could derail the Malta Conference Nov. 14-19 in Jordan.

She alleged the college "treated her differently than other professors as a result of her religion and ethnicity," said attorney Laurel Bellows. Lerman, Israeli-born and Jewish, has U.S. and Israeli citizenship.

Lerman has been locked out of her office and has no access to files on the Malta Conference, Bellows said.

Columbia has not replied to a request from conference officials to transfer an account for the meeting to an independent scientific group, Bellows said. "It's not their [Columbia's] money," she said. She estimates it has over $100,000 in donations from scientific organizations.

Columbia responded in a prepared statement: "While the challenging economic times have forced us to reduce our overall financial giving levels, including suspending our annual contribution to this conference, we continue to provide the administrative support -- including payment of invoices -- that makes the conference possible. Any allegations to the contrary are simply false."

Lerman is respected by the global scientific community, said Paul Walter, past president of the American Chemical Society and the American Association of University Professors.

He said the conference is a rare occasion for Mideast scientists: "If people will talk to one another, they're less likely to blow each other up."