Trump secures major settlement with Columbia University
President Trump
Today, President Donald J. Trump secured a historic settlement with Columbia University to address violations of federal civil rights laws and to restore fairness, merit, and safety in higher education.
The agreement ensures 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 will pay the United States $200 million to settle claims related to discriminatory practices, marking a significant win for accountability in academia.
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.
The agreement secures privacy, dignity, and fairness in women’s sports, programing, facilities, and housing.
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.
Columbia will 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 will enhance campus safety and ensure a safe learning environment by appropriately enforcing strict rules against disruptive protests, prohibiting masked protests, and maintaining trained security officers and ongoing cooperation with the New York Police Department.
The agreement establishes robust oversight, including with an independent Resolution Monitor and an Administrator, to ensure Columbia complies with the agreement and federal laws.
Consistent with Columbia’s announcement in March, student discipline and rules have been moved from an unaccountable faculty senate to the Office of the Provost, providing for stronger oversight, transparency, and accountability.
The agreement reinstates most terminated federal grants, restores Columbia’s eligibility for future grants and awards, and closes pending investigations into the university.
The Trump Administration took action to address Columbia University’s violations of federal civil rights laws, protecting students and upholding fairness in higher education.
The settlement culminates after concerning public incidents and subsequent civil rights investigations and actions regarding Columbia’s alleged discrimination on the basis of race and national origin.
Columbia’s failure to ensure a safe, non-discriminatory campus environment, including issues with protest policies and disciplinary processes, raised urgent concerns about student safety and free inquiry.
By securing this settlement, the Trump Administration is ensuring that Columbia upholds merit-based standards, complies with federal law, and fosters an environment of academic excellence and safety for all students.
Trump is holding elite universities accountable, ensuring they prioritize fairness, merit, and American values. The Administration has challenged elite universities like Harvard and Columbia for discriminating against student and staff, failing to protect students from violent anti-Semitism, and otherwise failing to be a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars.