The Department of Education (ED) on Wednesday called on Columbia University’s accreditor to no longer recognize the school due to its civil rights violations.
ED told the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that the Ivy League institution “is in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws and therefore fails to meet the standards for accreditation set by the Commission.” The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a report that found Columbia “failed” to adhere to its own policies regarding response to complaints from Jewish students and enforcing punishments on students engaged in vandalism and illegal and disruptive protests on campus.
“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,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement announcing the action. “This is not only immoral, but also unlawful.”
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education told the DCNF it received a letter from ED regarding the notification about Columbia but declined to comment on the matter.
Columbia has faced heat from the administration ever since it became the hotspot for antisemitic protests since the start of the Gaza War in 2023. The university reportedly failed to enforce meaningful punishment on over 100 students involved in pro-Hamas demonstrations, from unauthorized encampments to the overtaking of a campus building during which a university employee was reportedly held hostage.
Unlike Harvard, which also came under fire from the administration due to its response to antisemitism but vowed not to comply with the Trump administration, Columbia previously caved to the administration’s demands for tackling discrimination on campus after the administration threatened to revoke $400 million in federal funding.
“Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid,” McMahon continued. “They determine which institutions are eligible for federal student loans and Pell Grants. Just as the Department of Education has an obligation to uphold federal antidiscrimination law, university accreditors have an obligation to ensure member institutions abide by their standards. 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.”
“Columbia is aware of the concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights today to our accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and we have addressed those concerns directly with Middle States,” a university spokesman told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Columbia is deeply committed to combating antisemitism on our campus. We take this issue seriously and are continuing to work with the federal government to address it.
Editor’s note: This piece has been updated with comment from Columbia University.
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