Despite Columbia's Acquiescence, Trump Admin Targets the School's Accreditation

The U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday alleged that Columbia University "is in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws" and so does not meet accreditation standards, the latest sign that the school's efforts to work with the Trump administration have not mollified the White House.

The Wednesday announcement states that following an investigation in Columbia, the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights in May concluded "that Columbia University acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students." In doing this, the statement alleges, the school violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal funding.

"Columbia is deeply committed to combating antisemitism on our campus," a spokesperson for the school said in a statement sent to multiple outlets on Wednesday. "We take this issue seriously and are continuing to work with the federal government to address it."

According to the statement from the Department of Education, the Trump administration has notified the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the body that grant's the school's accreditation, that it believes Columbia "fails to meet the standards for accreditation."

"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. This is not only immoral, but also unlawful," said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in the department's statement. Particularly during the 2023-24 school year, Columbia was the site of significant pro-Palestinian student activism.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration canceled $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia, citing inaction over alleged antisemitism. According to The Washington Post, the university has remained in talks with federal officials in an effort to recoup that funding.

After the Trump administration announced that the $400 million would be canceled, the university agreed to implement several changes, including to heightened oversight of academic programs focused on the Middle East. Columbia was criticized for doing this.

Since the university made these changes, there have been reports that the Trump administration is interested in placing Columbia under a consent decree, essentially a way for the federal government to exert oversight over the school.

Steve Benen, an MSNBC political contributor and producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," highlighted Thursday that while the federal government has no formal powers over accreditation and hasn't itself sought to revoke it, the Trump administration's effort to get the school's accreditor to take action against Columbia based on the administration's allegations is "a remarkable step."

"But there's also the larger set of circumstances to consider: Despite the plain fact that Columbia agreed to most of the White House's demands months ago, they're still an administration target," Bennen wrote. "The message, to other schools and other institutions, couldn't be any clearer: Trying to pacify [President Donald] Trump and his team will do little to slow their offensive."

Jon Fansmith, the assistant vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education, echoed this point when speaking with CNN.

"Columbia's efforts to work in good faith with the administration made clear to every college and university the simple fact that this administration isn't interested in addressing antisemitism or working towards good policy," he said. "They want to harm and control schools."

Another school that has been in the administration's crosshairs, Harvard University, was dealt a fresh blow by Trump on Wednesday. The president put out an order imposing a six-month ban on international students entering the U.S. to study at the school.

Harvard has taken a different approach than Columbia, and has fought to defend its autonomy and challenged the administration in court.