Columbia to compensate discrimination victims in deal with Trump admin over campus anti-Semitism
In the midst of negotiations with the Trump administration that could lead to restored federal funding, Columbia University officials have pledged to take significant steps to combat anti-Semitism.
The tentative proposed agreement would require Columbia to compensate victims of unlawful discrimination and increase transparency in its hiring and admissions processes.
In the midst of negotiations with the Trump administration that could lead to restored federal funding, Columbia University officials have pledged to take significant steps to combat anti-Semitism.
The tentative proposed agreement would require Columbia to compensate victims of unlawful discrimination and increase transparency in its hiring and admissions processes, according to The Washington Free Beacon.
In a July 15 statement, Columbia acting President Claire Shipman described steps that the administration will take to crack down on anti-Semitism, including appointing Title VI and Title VII coordinators, implementing more training on anti-Semitism, and adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) anti-Semitism definition.
“Columbia is committed to taking all possible steps to combat antisemitism and the University remains dedicated to ensuring that complaints of discrimination and harassment of all types, including complaints based on Jewish and Israeli identity, are treated in the same manner,” Shipman wrote in the announcement.
Shipman also emphasized Columbia’s “zero tolerance” policy for anti-Semitism and announced that the university will not recognize or engage with the group Columbia University Apartheid Divest or its affiliates.
The university’s board of trustees has met to discuss the proposed agreement with the Trump administration, which could allow Columbia to recover most of the $400 million in grants and contracts frozen by the White House earlier this year.
This month, Columbia University trustee Shoshana Shendelman publicly criticized the university’s leadership for its response to anti-Semitism on campus.
In a letter sent on July 7, Shendelman urged Columbia to comply fully with federal civil rights requirements.
She warned that the administration’s “failure to decisively address antisemitism on campus” demonstrates a “disturbing lack of moral clarity and poses a significant threat to the safety and well-being of Jewish students, faculty, and the broader community of Columbia University.”
Shendelman added that the ongoing failures have caused “substantial legal and financial ramifications” and damaged Columbia’s reputation. She insisted that the university must “fully accept the Trump administration’s demands regarding antisemitism and Title VI compliance.”
Earlier this year, Campus Reform reported about a survey that found the majority of Jewish students at Columbia do not feel accepted for their religious identity. In addition, 53 percent of Jewish students reported facing discrimination, with only 34 percent feeling a sense of belonging.
Campus Reform has contacted Columbia University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
