- US Education Dept warns Columbia’s accreditor, says university violated federal anti-discrimination laws by failing to protect Jewish students post Oct 7 attacks
- OCR alleges Columbia University showed 'deliberate indifference' to campus harassment, breaching Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
- Accreditor Middle States Commission asked to ensure Columbia meets federal civil rights and accreditation standards
The US Department of Education issued a warning to Columbia University's accreditor, accusing that the Ivy League school defied federal anti-discrimination legislation.
A press release issued on the official website of the department stated that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) informed the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that its member institution, Columbia University, is out of compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws and thus does not satisfy the commission's standards for accreditation.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated in the press release that "Following Hamas' October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, Columbia University's leadership demonstrated deliberate indifference to harassment of Jewish students on its campus. This is immoral, and it is illegal".
"We anticipate the Commission to keep the Department apprised of action taken to ensure Columbia's compliance with accreditation standards including compliance with federal civil rights legislation", McMahon stated.
On Feb 3, 2025, OCR conducted a targeted investigation of Columbia University to consider whether the university discriminated against, facilitated the harassment of, or tolerated violence against students and teachers on account of their Jewish heritage in violation of Title VI and its implementing regulation.
As stated in the release, Columbia is alleged to have discriminated against Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which disallows recipients of federal funds from discriminating against an individual on the basis of color, national origin, or race.
