Trump administration accuses Columbia of violating Jewish students’ civil rights
US government says the university has been ‘acting with deliberate indifference’ to antisemitism on campus since Oct. 7, ‘continually failed to protect Jewish students’
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 since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The finding was announced late Thursday by the US Health and Human Services Department, marking the latest blow for an Ivy League school already shaken by federal cutbacks and sustained government pressure to crack down 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 feud with higher education.
The civil rights division of HHS said it 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, the press release notes, includes “discrimination against individuals that is based on their actual or perceived Israeli or Jewish identity or ancestry.”
The announcement did not include new sanctions against Columbia, which is already facing $400 million in federal cuts by the Trump administration over its response to pro-Palestinian campus protests.
A spokesperson for Columbia said the university is currently in negotiations with the government about resolving its claims of antisemitism.
“We understand this finding is part of our ongoing discussions with the government,” the spokesperson said in an email. “Columbia is deeply committed to combating antisemitism and all forms of harassment and discrimination on our campus.”
The civil rights investigation into Columbia was based on witness interviews, media reports and other sources, according to HHS. The findings were not made public. A spokesperson did not respond to a request for further information.
HHS said Columbia “continually failed to protect Jewish students,” citing a laundry list of violations by the school ranging from failing to investigate and punish vandalism, including “repeated drawing of swastikas” and failing to enforce restrictions on protest.
“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 civil rights office, said in a statement. “We encourage Columbia University to work with us to come to an agreement that reflects meaningful changes that will truly protect Jewish students.”
Last spring, Columbia became the epicenter of protests against Israel over the war with Hamas in Gaza, spurring a national movement of campus demonstrations that demanded universities cut ties with Israel. Many of these campuses also saw anti-Israel demonstrations in the wake of the October 7 terror onslaught, which started the ongoing fighting in Gaza.
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.
Many have also accused the university of capitulating to the Trump administration’s demands — including placing its Middle East studies department under new leadership — at the expense of academic freedom and protecting foreign students.
At a commencement ceremony earlier this week, a speech by Columbia’s acting president, Claire Shipman, was met with loud boos by graduates and chants of “free Palestine.”
The Times of Israel Community.