Trump administration says Columbia violated civil rights of Jewish students
May 23, 2025, 5:16 AM | Updated: 5:24 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration is accusing Columbia University of violating the civil rights of Jewish students by “acting with deliberate indifference” toward what it describes as rampant antisemitism on campus.
The finding was announced late Thursday by the Health and Human Services Department, marking the latest blow for an Ivy League school already shaken by federal cutbacks and sustained government pressure to crackdown on student speech.
It comes hours after the Department of Homeland Security said it would revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students, a major escalation in the administration’s monthslong attack on higher education.
The Health and Human Services Department said its Office of Civil Rights had found Columbia in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which blocks federal funding recipients from discrimination based on race, color or national origin. That final category includes “discrimination against individuals that is based on their actual or perceived Israeli or Jewish identity or ancestry,” the press release states.
The announcement did not include new sanctions against Columbia, which is already facing $400 million in federal cuts over what the Trump administration describes as its permissive approach to antisemitism on campus.
A spokesperson for Columbia said the university is currently negotiating with the government about a resolution to those allegations.
“We understand this finding is part of our ongoing discussions with the government,” the spokesperson said in an email. “Columbia is deeply committed to combatting antisemitism and all forms of harassment and discrimination on our campus.”
Last spring, Columbia became the epicenter of protests against the war in Gaza, spurring a national movement of campus demonstrations.
At the time, some Jewish students and faculty complained about being harassed during the demonstrations or ostracized because of their faith or their support of Israel.
Those who participated in Columbia’s protests, including some Jewish students, have said they are protesting Israel’s actions against Palestinians and have forcefully denied allegations of antisemitism.
