Columbia University May Pay $200 Million To Settle Civil Rights Claims With Trump Admin: Report

Last Updated:July 12, 2025, 20:14 IST

The agreement, still in draft form, would restore some of the more than $400 million in federal research funding cancelled by the administration

People exit the Columbia University bookstore in Upper Manhattan on June 05, 2025 in New York City. (Getty Images via AFP)

Columbia University may pay around $200 million or more to the Trump administration to settle allegations that it failed to protect Jewish students from harassment, The New York Times reported on Friday. The possible deal aims to resolve a dispute that has put the university’s federal funding at risk.

The agreement, still in draft form, would restore some of the more than $400 million in federal research funding cancelled by the administration. In return, Columbia would provide compensation for alleged civil rights violations and agree to increase transparency on admissions, foreign donations, and other areas.

Columbia officials are expected to meet with White House representatives soon to finalise the terms of the settlement, the publication reported.

Earlier proposals had included a consent decree — a legally binding agreement placing the university under federal oversight for years — but this is no longer part of the current discussions.

After the funding was cut in March, Columbia agreed to several demands from the Trump administration. These included empowering campus police to arrest students, restricting mask use during protests, and increasing control over its Middle Eastern Studies department. These actions were intended to address concerns about anti-Semitism on campus.

The controversy began following protests against the war in Gaza in 2023, when some Jewish students reported harassment and intimidation. Critics accused the university of ignoring these problems. The Trump administration threatened to revoke Columbia’s accreditation, which would have jeopardised all federal funding.

In June, US Education Secretary Linda McMahon had said Columbia “looked the other way as Jewish students faced harassment" and violated Title VI, a law protecting against discrimination by federally funded institutions.

“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," McMahon had said in a statement.

The issue drew wider attention when Republican lawmakers questioned university leaders about anti-Semitism in higher education. Columbia’s former president, Minouche Shafik, resigned in August amid the pressure.

Columbia was the first university targeted by the Trump administration, followed by Harvard, Cornell, and Northwestern, which are also facing investigations and funding cuts.

(With inputs from AFP)

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News world Columbia University May Pay $200 Million To Settle Civil Rights Claims With Trump Admin: Report