
Columbia University to pay $220M to restore federal funding pulled amid antisemitism accusations
Article content
Under the agreement, the Ivy League school will pay a $200 million settlement over three years, the university said. It will also pay $21 million to resolve alleged civil rights violations against Jewish employees that occurred following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, the White House said.
Article content
Article content
Article content
'This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty,' acting University President Claire Shipman said.
Article content
Article content
The school had been threatened with the potential loss of billions of dollars in government support, including more than $400 million in grants canceled earlier this year. The administration pulled the funding because of what it described as the university's failure to squelch antisemitism on campus during the Israel-Hamas war.
Article content
Columbia has since agreed to a series of demands laid out by the Republican administration, including overhauling the university's student disciplinary process and applying a contentious, federally endorsed definition of antisemitism not only to teaching but to a disciplinary committee that has been investigating students critical of Israel.
Article content
Wednesday's agreement — which does not include an admission of wrongdoing — codifies those reforms while preserving the university's autonomy, Shipman said.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the deal 'a seismic shift in our nation's fight to hold institutions that accept American taxpayer dollars accountable for antisemitic discrimination and harassment.'
Article content
'Columbia's reforms are a roadmap for elite universities that wish to regain the confidence of the American public by renewing their commitment to truth-seeking, merit, and civil debate,' McMahon said in a statement.
Article content
As part of the agreement, Columbia agreed to a series of changes previously announced in March, including reviewing its Middle East curriculum to make sure it was 'comprehensive and balanced' and appointing new faculty to its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies. It also promised to end programs 'that promote unlawful efforts to achieve race-based outcomes, quotes, diversity targets or similar efforts.'
Article content
The university will also have to issue a report to a monitor assuring that its programs 'do not promote unlawful DEI goals.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

CTV News
5 minutes ago
- CTV News
West Island teen raising money for Ukraine, one haircut at a time
Montreal Watch Aleksander Yakimiw-Martin, 26, is raising money for his home country of Ukraine, one haircut at a time.


CTV News
35 minutes ago
- CTV News
Province considering annual pass to use boats in Alberta waterways
The province of Alberta is considering charging people to use boats on the province's more than 600 lakes The province could soon be charging people to use boats in Alberta's waterways. Th government is considering an annual pass for boats, jet skis, canoes, kayaks and other watercraft. It says all the money would go towards increasing defences against invasive mussels. The species is growing in North America, but has not established in any of Alberta's over 600 lakes. The province has launched a survey to find out how much an annual watercraft pass should cost, and how it could be applied. Albertans have until Aug. 25 to weigh in.


CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Nanos on the Numbers: How are Canadians feeling about defence spending?
Nanos on the Numbers: How are Canadians feeling about defence spending? Pollster Nik Nanos discusses the change in appetite among Canadians when it comes to spending on defence.