WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Trump administration has secured a settlement with Columbia University to address violations of federal civil rights laws and to restore fairness, merit, and safety in higher education.
As per the agreement, Columbia will not engage in unlawful racial discrimination in hiring, admissions, or university programming. Columbia will provide access to all relevant data and information to rigorously assess compliance with its commitment to merit-based hiring and admissions.
Columbia has agreed to pay the federal government $200 million to settle claims related to discriminatory practices.
Columbia will also pay the largest employment-discrimination public settlement in almost 20 years. Over $20 million will be paid to resolve alleged civil rights violations against Jewish Columbia employees that occurred on its campus following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks. This is also the largest ever settlement for victims of anti-Semitism and for workers of any religion, according to the White House.
The agreement mandates a comprehensive review of Columbia's portfolio of programs in regional areas, starting with those relating to the Middle East, and fosters new faculty appointments to promote intellectual diversity.
The centuries-old private Ivy League research university in New York City has agreed to strengthen oversight of international students by reviewing admission processes, including by assessing applicants' reasons for wishing to study in the U.S., sharing relevant data with the Federal Government, and reducing financial dependence on overwhelming international student enrollment.
Columbia has agreed to enhance campus safety, including by enforcing strict rules against disruptive protests and prohibiting masked protests.
An independent Resolution Monitor and an Administrator will be appointed to ensure Columbia complies with the agreement and federal laws.
The agreement reinstates most terminated federal grants, restores Columbia's eligibility for future grants and awards, and closes pending investigations into the university.
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