Columbia Fails to Meet Accreditation Status, Trump Admin Warns

[pnwmom]

Last edited Wed Jun 4, 2025, 05:46 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Newsweek

The United States Department of Education (DOE) determined that Columbia University has violated a federal civil rights law, the DOE said Wednesday in a press release.

The notification comes after the DOE opened an investigation into the University in February.

"The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today notified Middle States Commission on Higher Education (the Commission) that its member institution, Columbia University, is in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws and therefore fails to meet the standards for accreditation set by the Commission," the release said.

Why It Matters
Colleges without federal accreditation lose access to federal student aid, preventing millions of prospective and current students from getting the financial help they may need in order to be able to afford attendance.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/columbia-fails-meet-accreditation-status-trump-admin-warns-2081112

---

Trump is punishing Columbia for protests related to Gaza. This threat is despite the actions Columbia has already taken to appease Trump. Threatening Columbia with the loss of its accreditation is part of Trump's plan to attack Ivy League Universities, using Jewish students as the pretext.

The notice marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration's bid to dictate to Columbia after accusing the college of failing to protect students from antisemitic harassment.

It follows the cancellation of $400m in federal grants and contracts, after which the university yielded to a series of changes demanded by the administration, including setting up a new disciplinary committee, initiating investigations into students critical of Israel's war in Gaza, and ceding control of its Middle East studies department.

Columbia was at the forefront of student encampment protests last spring, with more direct action protests erupting in recent weeks and jeers at leadership at commencement ceremonies last month, and has cycled through a series of university presidents in the past 18 months.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/04/trump-columbia-accreditation

[Norrrm]

1. Like Trump University met accreditation?

[Fullduplexxx]

2. Columbia was at the forefront of student encampment protests last spring, with more direct action protests erupting in r

Columbia was at the forefront of student encampment protests last spring, with more direct action protests erupting in recent weeks and jeers at leadership at commencement ceremonies last month, and has cycled through a series of university presidents in the past 18 months.

[pnwmom]

4. Since when are student protests grounds for losing accreditation? That's a Trump thing. nt

[Fullduplexxx]

18. it is not .

[pnwmom]

19. It definitely is. Before Trump, no President in history has ever threatened a university with loss of accreditation

because of its student protests.

[Fullduplexxx]

21. Tthen I guess you answered your own question

[pnwmom]

23. I said: "That's a Trump thing." And you said: "It is not." So pardon my confusion.

[Scrivener7]

12. And?

[newdeal2]

3. If you back down, the bully will not forget

They will come back asking for more and more.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Is DOE the judge of Middle States Commission?

[wolfie001]

6. They need to adopt republican nazi standards

So says Der Fuehrer Shitler

[img][/img]

[SARose]

7. Religious Discrimination at School: Application of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Snip

Congress can amend Title VI to clarify if and when it prohibits religious discrimination. It could, for example, add religion as a protected category or elaborate on when religious discrimination overlaps with racial or national origin discrimination. Congress may consider how other antidiscrimination laws approach prohibitions on religious discrimination, particularly given that a large number of sectarian schools accept federal funding. Other antidiscrimination laws contain exceptions for certain conduct by at least some religious institutions, including sectarian schools. Title VI does not.

Since 2016, lawmakers have introduced a version of the Antisemitism Awareness Act at least eight times, as well as other bills that could cause schools, colleges, and universities to lose federal funding if they respond inadequately to antisemitism as defined by the IHRA. Congress may consider how these and similar bills interact with Title VI. The versions of the Antisemitism Awareness Act in the 118th Congress, for example, instruct ED to "take into consideration" the IHRA definition of antisemitism when enforcing Title VI, but they do not amend Title VI itself to explain if and when Title VI covers religious discrimination at all. The Antisemitism Awareness Act also does not specify whether the IHRA definition of antisemitism is to be considered in private lawsuits in addition to OCR enforcement actions.

Various approaches to combating religious discrimination at schools, colleges, and universities may also raise complex constitutional questions. In imposing obligations on sectarian schools, Congress may need to take into account First Amendment limits on applying antidiscrimination laws to religious institutions. Furthermore, lower courts have struck down some school policies prohibiting harassment or limiting access to certain speakers as vague, overbroad, or viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment. The IHRA defines antisemitism broadly—"a certain perception of Jews"—and includes some forms of criticism of Israel that courts and commentators, including an author of the IHRA definition, have suggested enjoy First Amendment protection. There may be other constitutional considerations as well. For example, laws that extend greater protection to people of one faith than to people of other faiths may face scrutiny under the Equal Protection or Establishment Clauses.

More

This a snippet of

CRS Product Type: Legal Sidebar
Topics: Education; Law, Constitution & Civil Liberties
Publication Date: 09/17/2024
Author: Graber, Abigail A.

From Congress.gov see link above.

Any attorneys want to weigh in?

[riversedge]

8. No matter how you look at this issue-lose of accredation is a major blow to the students.

[ananda]

9. What is Trump's actual logic in his attacks on higher education?

I think it is indeed part of the Nazi desire to destroy education and make up any
excuse to do it.

But I also think there's a personal component in the wish to destroy anyone
or anything that makes him feel uncomfortable or disturbed.

It is this personal component that makes everything he does so destructive
and vicious, and not just defeating for the target but also for himself,
his administration, the people, and the rest of the world.

[benpollard]

10. So kowtowing to Trump didn't pay off?

[Scrivener7]

11. Trump has nothing to do with accreditation.

Columbia better not give any more ground to that idiot. I'm so ashamed of them.

[FakeNoose]

13. I smell another lawsuit, maybe get with Harvard and others on a class-action suit

Chump is losing a lot of these lawsuits too.

[angrychair]

14. This is a pretty dark turn

Think about the implications of them forcing Columbia or Harvard or MIT to shut down because he makes them lose their accreditation.
Just from a research perspective it would cripple every possible category of science worldwide.
This line of attack is incredibly disturbing and dangerous.

[Exp]

15. Hey that's great. Thanks bozos! You know who you are. nt

[hedda_foil]

16. Will Columbia finally decide they need to sue to stop the insanity?

[lonely bird]

17. The Velveeta Vulgarian

Has no authority to withdraw accreditation.

Sue the federal government collectively and Trump individually.

[Karasu]

20. LMAO. Don't make me laugh. This administration couldn't give less of a fuck about violating civil rights law. They do it

every damn day.

[flamingdem]

22. The media needs to have honest headlines

and dare to use their words. This headline buys into his argument as if there is one.

[yardwork]

24. Cynical lies from TrumpCo.