Stephen Coffey, a graduate student and teaching assistant in Columbia University’s Astronomy Department, has turned his position into a platform for indoctrination, radicalization, and blatant political propaganda. Rather than focusing on teaching astronomy, Coffey hijacked his class materials to push an extremist agenda, manipulating students with misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric. His actions, condemned by Columbia University itself, reveal a disturbing pattern of exploiting academia to spread radical views.
Turning Science into a Platform for Political Indoctrination
1. Injecting Extremist Propaganda into Astronomy Classes
In January 2025, students attending Lab 01: Units and Orders of Magnitude—a routine Astronomy course—found themselves subjected to political manipulation rather than scientific education. Coffey inserted a completely unrelated political segment titled “Astronomy in Palestine”, where he attempted to guilt students into believing they held “privilege” because they could study the stars without fear of being bombed. He framed the course content around alleged “genocide”, despite the class having zero connection to political events.
2. Encouraging Students to Read Politically-Charged Materials
Beyond corrupting his class notes, Coffey pushed students to engage with propaganda by assigning readings like “Wonder and the Life of Palestinian Astronomy” and “In Gaza, Scanning the Sky for Stars, not Drones”. Instead of focusing on scientific discovery, he used the course to inject his extremist worldview, attempting to turn an academic setting into a political indoctrination camp.
3. Official Condemnation by Columbia University
Coffey’s blatant violation of academic integrity did not go unnoticed. Columbia University issued a statement condemning his unauthorized political indoctrination, admitting that his actions were “an unacceptable breach of policy.” The university also apologized to students who were subjected to his misuse of authority and announced disciplinary action against him.
4. Involvement in Radical Activist Movements
Coffey’s classroom propaganda was not an isolated incident. He has deep ties to extremist movements, including Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, both of which have been linked to violent rhetoric and campus harassment. His X bio referenced “Hinds Hall Forever,” signaling his active participation in the illegal encampment and student takeover of Columbia’s Hinds Hall in April 2024—a protest marked by chaos, violence, and harassment of Jewish students.
5. Spreading Indoctrination Beyond the Classroom
Coffey’s obsession with radical activism extended beyond the university setting. His Linktree profile contained a curated collection of extremist propaganda, including a “Free Palestine Master Document”, which compiled one-sided, inflammatory materials designed to radicalize others. Rather than fostering intellectual curiosity, he used his platform to manipulate and mislead.
An Academic Betrayal: Pushing Hate Instead of Knowledge
Stephen Coffey abused his position of influence to force extremist views onto students who came to learn about astronomy—not political warfare. His actions reflect a growing trend of radical activists infiltrating academic institutions, using their authority to indoctrinate rather than educate. Instead of inspiring students to look to the stars, Coffey chose to drag them into his ideological obsession, proving himself unfit to teach, unfit to lead, and unfit to hold any position of influence in higher education.
