The United States (US) Department of Education has formally notified Columbia University’s accrediting agency that the institution is in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws, following an investigation into its response to alleged antisemitic harassment during pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
The department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) concluded that Columbia “acted with deliberate indifference” toward Jewish students who reported harassment in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, as per a report by India Today.
The OCR found that Columbia failed to take adequate measures to address these concerns, raising questions about the university’s compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The June 4 notice, sent to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, stated that Columbia’s failure to address the incidents means it “fails to meet the standards for accreditation.”
Accreditation is essential for institutions to access federal student aid, including Pell Grants and student loans, according to the report by India Today.
“Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid,” said US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.
The Middle States Commission, which has accredited Columbia since 1921, confirmed receipt of the letter but has not issued a public response.
This development is part of a broader federal scrutiny of elite universities amid rising tensions over campus protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Columbia has been at the centre of such demonstrations, which have intensified over the past year.
Though Columbia agreed to certain reforms in March, including changes in hiring, teaching, and admissions, USD 400 million in federal funding remains frozen. Acting University President Claire Shipman stated in April that while the university is open to dialogue, it would not accept terms that compromise its autonomy.
