Latest news with #TitleVII
New York Post
6 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Brown University strikes deal with Trump administration to restore half a billion dollars in federal funding
Brown University reached an agreement with the Trump administration Wednesday to restore $510 million in federal funds that were frozen amid a probe into possible civil rights violations at the Ivy League school. As part of the deal, Brown University will contribute $50 million to 'workforce development organizations' in the state; end programs that promote 'race-based outcomes, quotas, diversity targets or similar efforts'; and maintain 'women-only and men-only' facilities and sports teams on campus. 'The Trump Administration is successfully reversing the decades-long woke-capture of our nation's higher education institutions,' Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. 3 Trump has targeted several Ivy League schools over concerns about antisemitism on campus. REUTERS 'Because of the Trump Administration's resolution agreement with Brown University, aspiring students will be judged solely on their merits, not their race or sex,' McMahon continued. 'Brown has committed to proactive measures to protect Jewish students and combat Antisemitism on campus.' 'Women's sports and intimate facilities will be protected for women and Title IX will be enforced as it was intended.' Brown University President Christina Paxson noted that as part of the agreement, there is 'no finding or admission of wrongdoing' on the part of the Rhode Island school. 'The University's foremost priority throughout discussions with the government was remaining true to our academic mission, our core values and who we are as a community at Brown,' Paxson wrote in a letter to the university community announcing the agreement. 'This is reflected in key provisions of the resolution agreement preserving our academic independence, as well as a commitment to pay $50 million in grants over 10 years to workforce development organizations in Rhode Island, which is aligned with our service and community engagement mission,' she added. 3 The Trump administration had been investigating potential civil rights violations at the Ivy League school. wolterke – In March, Paxson indicated that she was willing to strike a deal that would allow Brown to uphold 'ethical and legal obligations under Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964' and 'defend academic freedom and freedom of expression.' 'By voluntarily entering this agreement, we meet those dual obligations,' Paxson said Wednesday. 'We stand solidly behind commitments we repeatedly have affirmed to protect all members of our community from harassment and discrimination, [and] we protect the ability of our faculty and students to study and learn academic subjects of their choosing.' Paxson added, 'We applaud the agreement's unequivocal assertion that the agreement does not give the government the 'authority to dictate Brown's curriculum or the content of academic speech.'' The university has taken out $800 million in loans since the Trump administration announced the funding freeze for federal grants and contracts in April, according to Bloomberg. 3 The Trump administration moved to freeze $510 million in federal funds for Brown University in April. AP The Trump administration had been investigating Brown's response to alleged cases of antisemitism on its Providence, R.I., campus, as well as the institution's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies. Brown was one of 60 colleges and universities that the Department of Education's civil rights arm warned earlier this month could have federal funding taken away over alleged antisemitic discrimination and harassment on campus. The private institution's $7.2 billion endowment is the lowest among schools in the Ivy League. Brown also reported a $42 million budget deficit in 2024, which the school expects 'to grow significantly in the near term.' The Trump administration previously froze about $400 million in federal funds from Columbia University and clawed back $2.6 billion from Harvard University over antisemitism concerns. Columbia agreed to pay a $200 million fine earlier this week to restore funding, and Harvard is in talks to settle with the Trump administration for as much as $500 million. 'Restoring our nation's higher education institutions to places dedicated to truth-seeking, academic merit, and civil debate — where all students can learn free from discrimination and harassment — will be a lasting legacy of the Trump administration, one that will benefit students and American society for generations to come,' McMahon said.
Economic Times
16 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Trump urges Harvard to pay more than Columbia in federal settlement talks
Agencies The White House is pushing Harvard University to pay a larger financial settlement than Columbia University to restore over $2 billion in frozen federal funding. According to a person familiar with the matter, US President Donald Trump is personally involved in the negotiations and wants Harvard to exceed Columbia's recent $221 million deal to set a precedent for other elite universities, as reported by The Harvard Crimson. Columbia finalized its settlement earlier this week, agreeing to pay $221 million, including $21 million related to a Title VII case, and accept several conditions. These included rolling back certain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, adopting a federal definition of antisemitism, revising its Middle East curriculum, and tightening the vetting of international students. In return, the government restored over $400 million in research funding. Harvard has not publicly commented on the talks, though private sources confirm that negotiations with the Trump administration have been ongoing for weeks. The terms are still under discussion and a final deal has not yet been reached. The settlement talks follow a formal finding from the US Department of Education that Harvard violated Title VI for failing to act swiftly on reports of campus antisemitism. President Trump and his administration have since taken several actions against the university, including suspending billions in research grants, questioning its tax-exempt status, and increasing scrutiny of foreign donations and visa programs. As per The Harvard Crimson report, education Secretary Linda McMahon described the Columbia deal as a 'roadmap' for future agreements. 'We'd like to have a resolution [with Harvard] outside of the courts,' she said in a CNN interview on Thursday. Though Harvard has not acknowledged the negotiations publicly, the university has already adopted policies that align with the administration's demands. These include adopting the federal antisemitism definition, scaling back DEI programs, and closing identity-based student administration continues to press for further changes, including a third-party audit of campus ideological diversity. Harvard President Alan M. Garber has indicated in private that he shares concerns about political imbalance on campus. If a deal is reached, Harvard would become the third Ivy League university to settle with the Trump administration. The University of Pennsylvania resolved its case earlier this year without a financial penalty but agreed to ban transgender athletes from women's sports. Harvard has also filed a lawsuit challenging the freeze on federal funds. A ruling is expected before September 3, the deadline set by the White House to wind down obligations under cancelled grants. The outcome of the legal case may influence the final terms, or timing, of a settlement. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Jane St: How an options trader smelt a rat when others raised a toast Regulators promote exchanges; can they stifle one? Watch IEX TCS job cuts may not stop at 12,000; its bench policy threatens more From near bankruptcy to blockbuster drug: How Khorakiwala turned around Wockhardt Stock Radar: SBI Life rebounds after testing 50-DEMA; could hit fresh record highs above Rs 2,000 – check target & stop loss These 10 banking stocks can give more than 25% returns in 1 year, according to analysts Two Trades for Today: A metals stock for an over 6% gain, a large-cap chemicals maker for about 7% upmove F&O Radar| Deploy Broken Wing in LIC Housing Finance to benefit from bearish outlook
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Federal agency sued for failing to enforce employment protections for transgender workers
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency responsible for enforcing laws against workplace discrimination, has refused since January to fully enforce employment protections for transgender workers, two left-leaning legal organizations argue in a new lawsuit. A complaint filed Tuesday by Democracy Forward and the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) on behalf of FreeState Justice, a Maryland nonprofit, alleges the EEOC and its acting chair, Andrea Lucas, are violating federal civil rights law, the Constitution and Supreme Court precedent by declining to process certain discrimination complaints raised by transgender workers. The EEOC first halted the charge-investigation process for charges tied to sexual orientation or gender identity in January, the lawsuit alleges, following an executive order from President Trump declaring that the U.S. recognizes only two unchangeable sexes, male and female. In April, the agency directed staff to classify charges of gender identity discrimination as meritless and put them on hold, the Associated Press reported at the time. In a July email to staff that was first reported by the Washington Post, Thomas Colclough, director of the EEOC's field operations, said the agency would only process cases that 'fall squarely' under the Supreme Court's 2020 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which found that firing transgender workers because of their gender identity violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The agency would process standalone hiring, dismissal and promotion charges brought by transgender workers, Colclough wrote, but would not investigate other claims, including workplace harassment, that are tied to gender identity. Tuesday's lawsuit, filed in Maryland district court, refers to the agency's new policy as the 'Trans Exclusion Policy' and argues that it 'deprives transgender workers of the full set of charge-investigation and other enforcement protections that the EEOC provides to other workers.' 'Consider, for example, the transgender worker who files a charge of discrimination with the EEOC after a years-long barrage of on-the-job anti-trans insults and slurs, threats of sexual and lethal violence, and physical attacks,' the lawsuit says. 'Before the Trans Exclusion Policy, a charge alleging such facts would have led the EEOC to process and investigate the charge, which in turn might have yielded a finding by the EEOC that there was reasonable cause to believe the charging party had been subject to unlawful treatment.' 'Under the Trans Exclusion Policy, the EEOC would not investigate, issue a cause finding, attempt to settle, or take any other step to process the charge,' the lawsuit continues. 'All because the charging party is transgender.' An EEOC spokesperson directed The Hill's request for comment to the Justice Department, which did not immediately return an email seeking comment on the complaint. Gaylynn Burroughs, vice president for education and workplace justice at NWLC, said in a statement that the EEOC under Lucas's leadership is 'promoting discrimination.' 'Transgender workers deserve to be protected against harassment, and the EEOC is obligated to do so under law,' Burroughs said. 'But the Trump administration seems hellbent on bullying transgender people in every possible way and ensuring that they are pushed out of all forms of public life, including their workplaces, so we're taking the administration to court.' Lucas, who has served as an EEOC commissioner since 2020 and was named the agency's acting chair in January, had previously listed 'defending the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights' as one of her top priorities. During a Senate confirmation hearing in June, Lucas defended her decision to dismiss several of the EEOC's own cases filed on behalf of transgender workers, arguing the cases conflict with Trump's 'two sexes' order. 'Biology is not bigotry. Biological sex is real, and it matters,' Lucas said in January. 'Sex is binary (male and female) and immutable. It is not harassment to acknowledge these truths—or to use language like pronouns that flow from these realities, even repeatedly.' Lucas has also voiced opposition to the EEOC's anti-harassment guidelines, which state that gender identity discrimination is prohibited by Title VII and 'sex-based harassment includes harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity, including how that identity is expressed.' Lucas, who voted against the policy when the EEOC brought it to a vote last year, cannot unilaterally remove or modify it.
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
US to allow federal workers to promote religion in workplaces
WASHINGTON - Federal employees may discuss and promote their religious beliefs in the workplace, the Trump administration said on Monday, citing religious freedoms protected by the U.S. Constitution. Agency employees may seek to "persuade others of the correctness of their own religious views" in the office, wrote Scott Kupor, director of the Office of Personnel Management, the U.S. government's human resources agency. Supervisors can attempt to recruit their employees to their religion, so long as the efforts aren't 'harassing in nature,' according to Kupor's statement. Agencies can't discipline their employees for declining to talk to their coworkers about their religious views. The statement represents the latest effort of the six-month-old Republican Trump administration to expand the role of religion in the federal workplace. Courts have long held that employers cannot suppress all religious expression in the workplace, but can lawfully curb conduct that is disruptive or imposes an undue hardship as long as it applies equally to members of any religion. The U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protects individuals' rights to practice their religion while preventing the government from favoring one religion or another or religion in general. OPM in mid-July said agency workers can get permission to work from home or adjust their hours to accommodate religious prayers, after previously demanding that workers report to offices fulltime. The new statement cites President Donald Trump's February executive order calling on agencies to eliminate the "anti-Christian weaponization of government." That order directs cabinet secretaries to identify federal actions hostile to Christians. Trump has embraced the conservative Christian world view and promoted policies that speak to concerns that their religious liberty is under attack. Federal employees can also set up prayer groups in the workplace, so long as they don't meet during work hours, Kupor's statement said. The memo references Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a law that prohibits workplace discrimination based on a person's religion or religious practices. Kupor in the memo said that means the law requires employers to allow workers to proselytize, organize prayer groups on non-working time, and display religious icons. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces Title VII, has said that proselytizing in the workplace can amount to unlawful religious harassment if it is unwelcome and is so severe or pervasive that it creates a hostile or abusive work environment. "A consensual conversation about religious views, even if quite spirited, does not constitute harassment if it is not unwelcome," the agency said in a 2008 guidance document. Kupor's memo is not legally binding, and any court that reviews it could disagree about the scope of Title VII's protections. But the memo could be difficult to challenge directly in court, as judges in many past cases have said they lack the power to review internal agency documents. — Reuters
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Why Trump wants Harvard to face a steeper penalty than Columbia in the federal funding standoff
Harvard faces greater pressure than Columbia in ongoing US funding negotiations The US President Donald Trump is pressing Harvard University to agree to a larger financial settlement than the $221 million deal struck with Columbia University, according to sources familiar with the ongoing negotiations, as reported by The Harvard Crimson. The talks concern the restoration of over $2 billion in frozen federal research funds. The White House is reportedly using Columbia's agreement as a "template" and is seeking harsher terms from Harvard to signal a broader policy shift in federal oversight of elite universities. Trump is personally involved in the discussions and has instructed his team to ensure that Harvard's penalty exceeds Columbia's, as reported by The Harvard Crimson. Columbia's deal sets a precedent Columbia University reached a settlement with the Trump administration earlier this week, agreeing to pay $221 million in exchange for the restoration of more than $400 million in previously frozen federal research funding. The settlement included $21 million to resolve a Title VII case and came with additional conditions. As reported by The Harvard Crimson, these conditions included the acceptance of a federally endorsed definition of antisemitism, a rollback of certain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives identified as unlawful by the administration, a review of its Middle East studies curriculum, and new screening procedures for international students. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Saharanpur: 1 Trick to Reduce Belly Fat? Home Fitness Hack Shop Now Undo US Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the Columbia agreement as a "seismic shift" and referred to it as a "roadmap" for future university settlements, including the ongoing negotiations with Harvard, in an interview with CNN as cited by The Harvard Crimson. Funding freeze and legal disputes continue Harvard has had more than $2.7 billion in federal research funding frozen following a series of administrative and legal challenges initiated by the Trump administration. Since April, Harvard has faced investigations into foreign donations, its tax-exempt status, and student visa records. Multiple federal subpoenas have also been issued, according to The Harvard Crimson. The administration issued a formal finding in late June that Harvard was in violation of Title VI, citing delays in its response to campus antisemitism. Harvard is currently involved in a lawsuit regarding the suspension of federal grants and contracts. At a recent hearing, US District Judge Allison D. Burroughs expressed scepticism over the government's rationale but has not yet ruled on the case. Negotiations remain ongoing and confidential As per The Harvard Crimson, while President Trump stated publicly that Harvard "wants to settle," the university has not confirmed the existence of any official talks. Internally, it has acknowledged discussions with donors and has challenged the administration's demands as unconstitutional in legal filings. T he two parties have exchanged several offers in recent weeks, and the administration continues to increase pressure. The Department of Homeland Security has issued subpoenas related to international student conduct, while the Department of State is examining Harvard's capacity to host J-1 visa holders. Meanwhile, the Department of Education has urged Harvard's accreditor to consider revoking its status. Preceding settlements and anticipated demands Prior to the Columbia agreement, the University of Pennsylvania also restored its federal funding without paying a financial penalty. Instead, it agreed to prohibit transgender women from competing in women's sports and to strip records and titles from former student Lia Thomas. Unlike Columbia and Harvard, the Pennsylvania case did not involve Title VI or Title VII violations, as noted by The Harvard Crimson. Although Harvard has yet to finalise an agreement, it has already adopted certain measures resembling concessions, including the adoption of the same antisemitism definition accepted by Columbia, the closure of DEI-related student offices, and administrative changes in its Middle East studies department. The White House has set a deadline of September 3 for the liquidation of financial obligations tied to the first wave of cancelled grants. Whether a settlement with Harvard will be reached before that date remains uncertain. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
