Trump Threatens Columbia University's Accreditation As War On Ivy League Escalates

The Trump istration announced Wednesday that accreditation, citing violations of federal civil rights laws due to the university's handling of antisemitic harassment on campus.

According to a t investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR), Columbia "acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students," thus violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Department of Education said Columbia has been in violation since October 7, 2023, the date of Hamas’ attack on Israel. The federal investigation found that since then, Columbia failed to take meaningful action to protect Jewish students from a hostile environment.

The Department further stated that Columbia “no longer appears to meet the Commission’s accreditation standards,” referring to its accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Accreditation requires compliance with all applicable government laws and regulations.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon condemned Columbia’s actions in strong , saying, “Columbia University has acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus. This is not only immoral, it is unlawful.”

She added that the Department will work closely with the accreditor “to ensure Columbia’s compliance with accreditation standards, including federal civil rights laws.”

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Trump's War On Ivy League

President Trump has launched a sweeping crackdown on Ivy League universities during his second term, framing it as a campaign to combat antisemitism on college campuses. The istration has cut federal funding to Harvard after the university refused to comply with new oversight measures, including federal control over curriculum, issions, and research priorities. In addition, the White House has introduced policies aimed at curbing international enrollment, proposing strict limits on student visas and enhanced screening for foreign applicants.