Topline
The Department of Health and Human Services said it found Columbia University violated federal civil rights laws by not taking adequate action against harassment of its Jewish students, the latest criticism of the university by the Trump administration—which has already slashed $400 million in funding to the school.
The HHS said its investigation found Columbia University acted “with deliberate indifference towards … More
Key Facts
In a statement, HHS said its Office for Civil Rights found the university violated federal civil rights laws by “acting with deliberate indifference towards student-on-student harassment of Jewish students from October 7, 2023, through the present.”
According to an investigation, the university failed to set up an “effective reporting” mechanism before the summer of 2024 and failing to “punish vandalism in its classrooms.”
The HHS also accused the university of failing to abide by its own policies and procedures in both dealing with the misconduct and responding to Jewish students’ complaints.
Anthony Archeval, the HHS civil rights office’s acting director, said the agency is encouraging the university to “work with us to come to an agreement that reflects meaningful changes that will truly protect Jewish students.”
Columbia told various news outlets it understands this finding is “part of our ongoing discussions with the government,” and it will work closely with the government to address the issues.
No fresh action against the university was announced in the statement.
Crucial Quote
“The findings carefully document the hostile environment Jewish students at Columbia University have had to endure for over 19 months, disrupting their education, safety, and well-being,” Archeval said.
Key Background
Columbia has emerged as a key target in the Trump administration’s push to crack down on pro-Palestinian protests across major U.S. educational institutions. The university was the site of major protests against Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, some of which resulted in a large number of arrests. The most recent of these protests took place earlier this month when around 75 were arrested after taking over a section of the school’s main library building. In March, the Trump administration announced it was canceling $400 million in grants and contracts to Columbia University, alleging “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.” A few weeks later, the University said it had agreed to several demands made by the Trump administration, including restrictions on masks, new campus police officers and more oversight for some departments. The Trump administration’s crackdown also targeted foreign nationals who participated in the student protests, revoking the visas of some involved. The most high-profile of such cases involved Columbia graduate student and protest leader Mahmoud Khalil, who the Trump administration is attempting to deport from the U.S. despite him being a green card holder.
Tangent
Earlier on Thursday, the Trump administration revoked Harvard University’s “Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification,” preventing it from enrolling any international students. The Department of Homeland Security said the revocation was effective immediately, which means, “Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status.” The crackdown on Harvard comes after the university refused to agree to a set of demands outlined by the White House, saying it blurred the lines of academic freedom.
Further Reading
Columbia Agrees To Trump Administration’s Demands After Losing $400 Million In Federal Funds (Forbes)
Harvard Barred From Enrolling International Students By Trump Administration (Forbes)
