The US administration led by President Donald Trump has intensified its conflict with Columbia University, stating that the institution fails to meet accreditation criteria due to inadequate protection of Jewish students.“After Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, Columbia University’s leadership acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus,” stated US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on Wednesday.The Office for Civil Rights at the US Department of Education announced Wednesday that it had informed the Middle States Commission on Higher Education about Columbia University’s alleged Title VI Civil Rights Act violation, as per an Education Department release. “The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today notified Middle States Commission on Higher Education (the Commission) that its member institution, Columbia University, is in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws and therefore fails to meet the standards for accreditation set by the Commission,” stated the release.The federal body claimed that the university appears to no longer satisfy the commission’s accreditation requirements.The comes as the US government escalates its scrutiny of elite academic institutions regarding allegations of widespread antisemitism and progressive prejudice.According to Columbia’s website, accreditation, administered by non-profit organisations, is essential for university students to access federal funding, including grants and loans. “We look forward to the Commission keeping the Department fully informed of actions taken to ensure Columbia’s compliance with accreditation standards including compliance with federal civil rights laws,” McMahon added to her statement.The Middle States Commission on Higher Education acknowledged, to CNN, the receipt of Wednesday’s letter.Columbia faced accusations last month of breaching federal civil rights law through “deliberate indifference” to Jewish student harassment since October 7, 2023, corresponding with Hamas’s attack and Israel’s subsequent military response in Gaza.A Columbia representative characterised these findings as progression in their collaborative efforts with the government to address antisemitism on campus.This forms part of the federal government’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism initiatives, established following Trump’s February executive order.Trump further addressed college accreditation through an April executive order, directing the education secretary to ensure accreditors’ accountability through various measures for poor performance or Civil Rights Act violations, as detailed by a White House official to CNN.The Education Department confirmed Wednesday its responsibility to inform accreditors about member institutions’ non-compliance findings, in accordance with Trump’s executive order.Leading US universities, including Columbia, face substantial pressure from the administration to implement policy changes or risk losing federal support.In March, Columbia implemented comprehensive policy changes after the administration threatened to withdraw $400 million in grants and contracts over alleged insufficient action against campus antisemitism.
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