The Trump administration said Thursday that Columbia University violated federal civil rights law by acting with “deliberate indifference” to harassment of Jewish students on campus since October 2023.
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights accused the university of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs and activities that receive federal funding. The announcement is part of a series of actions by the federal government’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, created following an executive order issued in February by President Trump.
A Columbia spokesperson described the announcement as another step forward in the university’s collaboration with the government to identify the best ways to combat anti-Semitism on campus.
“We understand this finding is part of our ongoing discussions with the government. Columbia is deeply committed to combating antisemitism and all forms of harassment and discrimination on our campus,” the spokesperson told CNN. “We take these issues seriously and will work with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education to address them.”
For its part, the government claims the university has continued to fail to protect Jewish students, citing extensive investigative findings from Oct. 7, 2023 to the present, the day Hamas attacked Israel.
“The findings carefully document the hostile environment Jewish students at Columbia University have had to endure for over 19 months, disrupting their education, safety, and well-being,” Anthony Archeval, acting director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights, said, “We encourage Columbia University to work with us to come to an agreement that reflects meaningful changes that will truly protect Jewish students.”
The administration also accused the university of failing to investigate vandalism in classrooms, failing to enforce restrictions on protests held on campus, and failing to comply with its policies in responding to Jewish student complaints.
In recent months, Ivy League universities have been under intense pressure from the administration to agree to the request to change their respective school policies.
Back in March, President Trump signaled that he would cancel $400 million in grants earmarked for Columbia because, in his words, the university had failed to crack down on anti-Semitism on campus.
