Trump authorities signal potential withdrawal of Columbia University's academic recognition
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ON THE HOT SEAT:
The feds are giving Columbia University a hard look over accusations that it disregarded harassment of Jewish students, potentially jeopardizing the institution's federal funding and renown.
President Trump's administration seems to be ratcheting up the pressure on renowned universities over claims they've enabled campus anti-Semitism during protests against Israel's war in Gaza.
Lured by the Trump administration's far-reaching demands, several elite institutions, including Columbia University, have already caved. The administration insists that the scholarly elite leans too far left.
In a blunt statement, US Education Secretary Linda McMahon called Columbia University out, claiming they turned a blind eye to Jewish students facing harassment.
She accused the esteemed Ivy League institution of breaking Title VI protections, a federal law that bans recipients of federal funding from discriminating based on race, color, or national origin.
Speaking out after Hamas' October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, McMahon stated that Columbia University's leadership took a deliberate and indifferent stance toward the harassment of Jewish students on campus. She labeled this as both immoral and unlawful.
The US Education Department's civil rights office notified Columbia's accreditor about the supposed violation. They warned the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that Columbia University "violates federal antidiscrimination laws" and so fails to meet the commission's accreditation standards.
If the university's accreditation is revoked, it stands to lose all federal funds. Students, already grappling with the loss of US$400 million in federal funds, would also be barred from accessing federal grants and loans for tuition.
KEY ACCUSATIONS:
- Indifference: Findings from the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) point to Columbia's “deliberate indifference” towards antisemitism on campus. Allegedly, the university administration ignored significant incidents of harassment and threats directed at Jewish students[2][3][1].
- Harassment and Inflammatory Language: Reports to OCR show instances where unauthorized groups employed “intimidating, antisemitic language," with banners and slogans like “globalize the intifada”[4][2]. These acts are said to have cultivated a hostile environment for Jewish students, particularly after the October 7 attack[4][2].
- Lack of Protection for Students: Statements from US Education Secretary Linda McMahon and OCR findings suggest that Columbia University “turned a blind eye” as Jewish students were harassed. The university reportedly failed to enforce school rules and protect their students' rights under federal law[1][3][2].
These allegations have led the federal government to notify Columbia’s accreditor and threaten its federal funding, with the root issue being Columbia’s apparent failure to prevent antisemitic harassment and address the allegations under Title VI.
- The escalating political tensions have led to policy-and-legislation changes, as the Trump administration is scrutinizing elite universities, like Columbia University, for their perceived indifference towards education-and-self-development issues, such as the harassment of Jewish students, which has been labeled as both immoral and a violation of Title VI protections.
- Amidst the general-news of Columbia University potentially losing its federal funding due to accusations of disregarding Jewish student harassment, the US Education Department's civil rights office has notified the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, warning of the institution's failure to meet accreditation standards by breaking federal antidiscrimination laws and creating a hostile learning environment.
