Topline
Columbia University violated federal anti-discrimination laws and failed to meet accreditation standards over its handling of pro-Palestinian protests last year, the Department of Education said Wednesday in its latest episode of scrutiny against the university.
New York City, New York, USA – December 31, 2014: Columbia University inscribed on the Low Memorial … More
Key Facts
The Department of Education said in a statement it determined Columbia violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it “acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students.”
The department said that through the alleged violation, Columbia failed to meet standards for accreditation set by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, a long-recognized accrediting agency with over 500 member schools.
The department specifically alleged Columbia did not “meaningfully protect” Jewish students against harassment on campus and denied students “equal access to educational opportunities.”
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education confirmed in an email to Forbes it received a letter regarding Columbia’s accreditation but did not provide further comment.
Columbia received a similar allegation regarding its treatment of Jewish students from the Department of Health and Human Services last month, telling multiple outlets the finding was “part of our ongoing discussions with the government,” and that it would work with the government to address the raised issues.
Forbes has reached out to Columbia for comment.
What To Watch For
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education could request that the school create a plan to come back into compliance. If Columbia failed to comply within a certain time frame, the accreditor could take action against the university in the form of a non-compliance warning, non-compliance probation, non-compliance show cause, which requires an institution to prove why its accreditation should not be withdrawn, or an outright withdrawal of accreditation. The accreditor says adverse actions against institutions can be appealed and that accreditation statuses will be unaffected until the appeal is decided on.
Key Background
Columbia is a focal point of the Trump administration’s war against a slew of universities where pro-Palestinian protests, some of which were marred by incidents of antisemitism, took place last year. The university, where encampments were erected and one of its buildings was occupied during the protests, lost $400 million in federal funds earlier this year and has tried to get back in the good graces of the Trump administration by agreeing to a list of demands from it. In March, Columbia announced it would implement restrictions of masks during campus protests, review programs focused on the Middle East and add 36 “special officers” with the authority to remove people from campus and make arrests. The Trump administration is investigating dozens of universities over antisemitism allegations, including Harvard. The prestigious university has sparred with the Trump administration in recent months, contesting freezes and cuts to billions in funding while legally challenging a potential ban against its ability to enroll international students.
Further Reading
Columbia Violated Civil Rights Of Jewish Students, Trump Administration Probe Finds (Forbes)
Columbia Agrees To Trump Administration’s Demands After Losing $400 Million In Federal Funds (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2025/06/04/trump-administration-tells-accrediting-board-columbia-fails-to-meet-standards/