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The US government on Wednesday threatened to revoke Columbia University’s accreditation, accusing the prestigious New York institution of failing to address harassment of Jewish students on campus. The move could jeopardise the university’s federal funding and reputation.
This latest action is part of the Trump administration’s intensified campaign against several leading universities it claims have tolerated anti-Semitic behaviour amid protests over Israel’s conflict in Gaza.
Columbia University is among the elite institutions that have faced mounting pressure to respond to allegations of campus hostility towards Jewish students.
“Columbia University looked the other way as Jewish students faced harassment,” US Education Secretary Linda McMahon said on X (formerly Twitter).
She accused the Ivy League school of violating Title VI, a federal law that prohibits discrimination by institutions receiving federal funding based on race, colour, or national origin.
“After Hamas’ terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Columbia University’s leadership showed deliberate indifference towards harassment of Jewish students on its campus,” McMahon stated.
“This is not only immoral, but also unlawful.”
The Education Department’s civil rights office has informed Columbia’s accrediting body, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, that the university is in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws and therefore does not meet the accreditation standards.
If accreditation is withdrawn, Columbia would lose access to all federal funding, including the $400 million in federal aid already withheld by the administration.
This would also affect students, who would be unable to access federal grants and loans for tuition fees.
