JNS: Columbia agrees to pay $221m to settle federal Jew-hatred probe

Columbia University agreed to pay $221 million to the U.S. government to settle federal investigations of its response to antisemitism on campus, the private Ivy League school said on Wednesday.

The university stated that it would pay $200 million over three years to the federal government, and another $21 million to settle with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. “Importantly, the agreement preserves Columbia’s autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions and academic decision-making,” it said.

“Under today’s agreement, a vast majority of the federal grants which were terminated or paused in March 2025 will be reinstated, and Columbia’s access to billions of dollars in current and future grants will be restored,” Columbia said.

“This includes the reinstatement of the majority of grants previously terminated by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services, renewal of non-competitive grants, the release of overdue payments on active, non-terminated grants and Columbia’s restored eligibility to apply for new federal research funding,” the university stated.

The amounts that weren’t restored are part of “broader reductions by the government in certain research areas” that are unrelated to the “conduct addressed in this agreement,” Columbia said.

Under the agreement, Columbia said that it admitted no wrongdoing, but that “the institution’s leaders have recognized, repeatedly, that Jewish students and faculty have experienced painful, unacceptable incidents, and that reform was and is needed.”

Linda McMahon, the U.S. education secretary, stated that the agreement is a “seismic shift in our nation’s fight to hold institutions that accept American taxpayer dollars accountable for antisemitic discrimination and harassment.”

“Thanks to President Trump’s firm leadership, Columbia University has agreed to pay $200 million, discipline student offenders for severe disruptions of campus operations, make structural changes to their faculty senate, bring viewpoint diversity to their Middle Eastern studies programs, eliminate race preferences from their hiring and admissions practices and end diversity, equity and inclusion programs that distribute benefits and advantages based on race,” McMahon said.

“Columbia’s reforms are a roadmap for elite universities that wish to regain the confidence of the American public by renewing their commitment to truth-seeking, merit and civil debate,” she stated. “I believe they will ripple across the higher education sector and change the course of campus culture for years to come.”

Brian Cohen, executive director of the  Columbia Barnard Hillel, told JNS that the agreement is “an important recognition of what Jewish students and their families have expressed with increasing urgency: antisemitism at Columbia is real, and it has had a tangible impact on Jewish students’ sense of safety and belonging and, in turn, their civil rights.”

“Acknowledging this fact is essential, and along with the new path laid out by the president and trustees, I am hopeful that today’s agreement marks the beginning of real, sustained change,” Cohen said.

Cohen told JNS that in the coming months, the Hillel will continue its “work with the administration, faculty, students and alumni to strengthen Jewish life at Columbia, including making sure that the roadmap laid out in this agreement is followed.”

“This is not the end of the process, however it is a major step forward,” he said.

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, stated that “the need for a federal settlement underscores Columbia’s lack of institutional willingness to effectively respond to antisemitism.”

“This school and its so-called leaders have failed time and time again to keep Jewish students, faculty and staff safe. True progress requires universities to confront antisemitism proactively, in partnership with affected communities,” Walberg stated.

“We will closely monitor Columbia’s purported commitment to this agreement and continue to develop legislative solutions to address antisemitism,” he said. “All colleges and universities must fulfill their legal obligations under federal antidiscrimination law.”