(The Center Square) – The Trump administration is seeking to strip Columbia University of its accreditation, saying the Ivy League school is in violation of federal civil rights laws for failing to control antisemitism on campus.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights announced Wednesday that it has notified the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which audits degree-granting colleges in the Mid-Atlantic region. It says Columbia is failing to meet its standards for accreditation.
The move, which is likely to be challenged, would strip Columbia of its eligibility to participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs, such as Pell Grants and federal work-study or student loan programs.
“After Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, Columbia University’s leadership acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “This is not only immoral, but also unlawful.”
McMahon said university accreditors are the “gatekeepers of federal student aid” and “have an obligation to ensure member institutions abide by their standards.” She said if a university “fails to come into compliance” with federal laws, the accreditor “must take appropriate action against its member institution.”
“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 added.
The Center Square was unsuccessful prior to publication getting comment from the Manhattan university.
The Education Department’s notice is the latest effort by the Trump administration to target Columbia, Harvard University and other elite schools over their handling of protests that have rocked campuses.
The Trump administration launched an investigation of Columbia and other schools in February and froze $400 million in federal grants over the university’s “failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment.”
Columbia agreed to make reforms to prevent the funds from being pulled back by the federal government. The school says it overhauled its policies around demonstrations and campus security, and reorganized its Middle Eastern studies department. The school also adopted a new campus-wide definition of antisemitism.
The Education Department’s notice also suggested that other elite universities under scrutiny from the Trump administration over antidiscrimination laws can also expect challenges to their accreditation.
