Columbia to pay more than $220 million after settlement with Trump administration over campus anti-Semitism
Columbia's interim president, Claire Shipman, commented that the settlement represents "an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty."
Part of Columbia's campus.
Columbia University reached an unprecedented agreement with the Trump Administration to end a series of federal investigations related to anti-Semitism, racial discrimination, and civil rights violations. This, in exchange for restoring access to more than $400 million in public funds that were suspended this year, the prestigious institution agreed to pay more than $220 million and implement structural reforms demanded by the White House.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the university confirmed it will pay $200 million over the next three years to the federal government and another $21 million to settle claims by Jewish employees affected during anti-Israel protests on campus following the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.
Columbia's interim president, Claire Shipman, commented that the agreement represents "an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty," although she insisted that the university maintains its academic autonomy.
Major reforms
Columbia agreed to outside oversight to ensure compliance with new rules on admissions, hiring, and discipline. The university must eliminate any practices that favor racial criteria over merit.
It also pledged to end programs that discriminated against students or faculty, institute a new definition of anti-Semitism, and turn over data on international admissions, including more rigorous interviewing of foreign applicants and reporting of disciplinary sanctions of visa students.
Columbia under federal oversight
The agreement establishes a resolution monitor who will issue semiannual reports to verify Columbia's compliance. Masked protests will be completely banned, and the security force will be required to prevent future building takeovers, such as the occupation of Hamilton Hall in spring 2024.
The Office of the Provost will assume full control of disciplinary processes, displacing the faculty senate. Sanctions and expulsions have already been announced for students involved in recent disturbances. In addition, the university will review and place under supervision several academic programs, including Middle Eastern studies, South Asia, Africa, and even centers in Tel Aviv and Amman.
JNS
Harvard may not meet accreditation standards for ‘deliberate indifference’ toward antisemitism
JNS (Jewish News Syndicate)
Columbia in crisis: million-dollar payouts and fractured leadership
Columbia also agreed to fully comply with Title IX, ensuring that women are not forced to share athletic or residential spaces with biological men.
The settlement ends a turbulent chapter for the university. In less than a year, three interim presidents passed through the position after successive failures to handle anti-Semitic demonstrations. Shipman, the current incumbent, faces questions from Congress over messages in which he reportedly downplayed anti-Semitism and promoted ethnic appointments, putting further political pressure on the institution.
LATEST
