The Trump administration claimed on Thursday that Columbia University had violated civil rights law by “acting with deliberate indifference towards student-on-student harassment of Jewish students” since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Anthony Archeval, Acting Director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS, said, “The findings meticulously document the hostile environment Jewish students at Columbia University have had to endure for more than 19 months, disrupting their education, safety, and well-being.”
According to the investigation, Columbia violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by allegedly failing to protect Jewish students from discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin from October 7, 2023, to the present.
Anthony Archeval, Acting Director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS, said, “The findings meticulously document the hostile environment Jewish students at Columbia University have had to endure for more than 19 months, disrupting their education, safety, and well-being.”
According to the investigation, Columbia violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by allegedly failing to protect Jewish students from discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin from October 7, 2023, to the present.
According to the findings, Columbia allegedly did not “establish effective reporting and remediation mechanisms for antisemitism until the summer of 2024” and did not “investigate or punish vandalism in its classrooms, which include the repeated drawing of swastikas and other universally recognized hate images.”
“We encourage Columbia University to work with us to come to an agreement that reflects meaningful changes that will truly protect Jewish students,” Archeval stated.
In response to the inquiry, Columbia stated on Thursday that it is “committed to combating antisemitism.”
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“We understand this finding is part of our ongoing discussions with the government,” according to a spokesperson.
“Columbia is deeply committed to combatting antisemitism and all forms of harassment and discrimination on our campus. We take these issues seriously and will work with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education to address them.”
No new actions against the university were included in the HHS’s findings.
The Ivy League school’s “failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment” led the Trump administration to announce in March that it was canceling $400 million in federal grants.
The funding cancellation follows over a year of events, including the start of the war in Gaza, widespread protests, and antisemitic harassment after the attack on Israel.
Toward the end of the spring semester in 2024, protesters swarmed Columbia, established a tent city, and took over the historic Hamilton Hall building before the NYPD forced them to leave.
Columbia responded by declaring that it would comply with the order and implementing a number of policy changes that were directly related to a set of reforms that were requested by a joint task force that included the General Services Administration, Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education.
All face coverings worn “for the purpose of concealing one’s identity in the commission of violations of university policies or state, municipal, or federal laws” were prohibited on campus as part of the changes.
