Trump admin threatens Columbia U. accreditation over Jewish student harassment

Yahoo

2 days ago

The U.S. Department of Education is threatening Columbia University's accreditation due to its response to campus antisemitism, according to a Wednesday announcement from the department.
The department's Office for Civil Rights notified Middle States Commission on Higher Education that Columbia is in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws, which do not meet accreditation standards.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon wrote in a statement that Columbia's leadership 'acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus' following the attacks on October 7.
'This is not only immoral, but also unlawful. Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid,' she wrote.
Accreditors determine what institutions are eligible for federal student loans and Pell Grants, she said.
Columbia University is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitic discrimination and harassment. Six Massachusetts institutions are also part of the investigation.
'We look forward to the Commission keeping the Department fully informed of actions taken to ensure Columbia's compliance with accreditation standards, including compliance with federal civil rights laws,' she said.
A Columbia spokesperson didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Read more: Columbia University agrees to policy changes under Trump administration threat
The announcement comes after the Trump administration issued an ultimatum — either abide by a list of requirements laid out for them or jeopardize its 'continued financial relationship with the United States government.'
Columbia later agreed to implement a list of policy changes, including overhauling its rules for protests and conducting an immediate review of its Middle Eastern studies department.
After Harvard University was also issued an ultimatum — with billions of dollars of funding on the line — Harvard pushed back against the administration. The university has multiple lawsuits against the federal government right now.
Quickly following in Harvard's footsteps, Columbia pledged not to make any agreement with the federal government that would 'relinquish our independence and autonomy,' according to a message from the university's president.
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Read the original article on MassLive.