Columbia University’s accreditor has been informed by the US Department of Education that the Ivy League institution allegedly violated federal anti-discrimination laws.
According to a statement released on Wednesday, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the Education Department and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) claimed Columbia University “acted with deliberate indifference to the harassment of Jewish students.”
In consequence, they claimed Columbia broke the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids discrimination against people of color and race based on race.
OCR and HHS OCR specifically found that Columbia failed to adequately defend Jewish students from widespread and severe harassment on the campus, and that this gave them no access to the educational opportunities they were entitled to under the law, according to the statement.
Since Israel’s occupation of Gaza began on October 7, 2023, it quoted Linda McMahon, the secretary of education, who claimed Columbia University was ignoring the ongoing harassment of Jewish students on its campus.
According to McMahon, “This is not only immoral, but it is also unlawful.”
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the accreditor, is “obliged to ensure member institutions abide by their standards,” she added.
The commission is one of seven regional bodies that checks colleges, universities, and other higher education institutions to make sure they adhere to requirements for degrees, including those that apply to degrees.
McMahon referred to accreditation organizations as the “gatekeepers of federal student aid” and explained that they determine which institutions are student loan eligible.
According to McMahon, “We look forward to the Commission keeping the Department fully informed of the steps being taken to ensure Columbia’s compliance with accreditation standards, including federal civil rights laws.”
According to the statement, Columbia University’s civil rights compliance status was disclosed to the Education Department and HHS on May 22.
Some of the first student encampments popped up on the Ivy League school’s lawn in April 2024, marking a turning point for pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel student protest movements.
With the arrests of prominent student activists like Mahmoud Khalil in March and Mohsen Mahdawi in April, the university has remained in the news.
Mahdawi has since been free, but Khalil and he are still facing deportation proceedings.
The protest leaders have refuted accusations that President Donald Trump’s administration made of creating unsafe conditions for Jewish students on campus.
In its statement on Wednesday, which summarized the “noncompliance findings,” which allegedly show Columbia is in conflict with civil rights law, it once more made that claim.
According to Anthony Archeval, acting director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS, “the findings carefully document the hostile environment Jewish students have endured for over 19 months, disrupting their education, safety, and well-being,” according to the statement.
We urge Columbia University to work with us to reach a conclusion that incorporates important changes that will truly safeguard Jewish students.
The university did not respond to a Reuters news agency’s request for comment right away.
Over $400 million in federal funding for Columbia University, a New York-based Ivy League institution, was being discussed by the Trump administration. In an effort to maintain the flow of funds, Columbia agreed to a number of demands from the administration, but it has not yet confirmed whether it will reactivate the grants and contracts it halted.
Source: Aljazeera
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