Columbia University ‘violated students’ civil rights’

Columbia University violated US federal civil rights law by ignoring the harassment of Jewish students by classmates, a government investigation has found.

Students protest as Columbia University's acting president Claire Shipman speaks during the commencement ceremony at Columbia University in New York this week. Picture: Seth Wenig / pool / AFP

Columbia University violated US federal civil rights law by ignoring the harassment of Jewish students by classmates, a government investigation has found.

Columbia acted with “deliberate indifference towards student-on-student harassment of Jewish students” since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, the Department of Health and Human Services’ civil rights office said on Thursday (local time).

The office said the university didn’t investigate or punish vandalism, including repeated drawing of swastikas, didn’t enforce rules for protests, didn’t abide by its own policies when handling Jewish students’ complaints, and didn’t establish ways to combat anti-Semitism until last summer.

“The findings carefully document the hostile environment Jewish students at Columbia University have had to endure for over 19 months,” said Anthony Archeval, acting director of the civil rights office. “We encourage Columbia University to work with us to come to an agreement that reflects meaningful changes that will truly protect Jewish students.”

A Columbia spokesperson said the school took these issues seriously and would work with the government to address them, adding: “We understand this finding is part of our ongoing discussions with the government.”

The finding comes as the school is engaged in high-stakes negotiations with the Trump administration over the future of its federal funding and its autonomy.

Back in March, the administration cancelled $US400m ($621m) in federal grants and contracts over what it said were anti-Semitism concerns, and said the university needed to meet demands to regain access to federal funds.

A graduate poses for a photo in front of a group of people protesting in support of Palestinians across the street from the main gates of Columbia University this week. Picture: AP

The Trump administration has been pressing to put Columbia under a consent decree, a form of federal oversight that would put a judge in charge of ensuring ­Columbia complies with government demands.

On Thursday, the HHS civil-rights office issued the school a “notice of violation” – a step that comes before either a lawsuit from the Justice Department seeking a consent decree or a voluntary resolution agreement with the school.

In past administrations, civil rights investigations at universities usually ended with voluntary resolution agreements. The civil rights office said its findings were based on witness interviews, media reports of anti-Semitic incidents and reports from the school’s own anti-Semitism task force.

Government civil rights lawyers interviewed faculty at Columbia as part of the investigation.

Trump administration leaders are pursuing the consent decree because they believe investigators have strong evidence against ­Columbia and that the school isn’t a good-faith actor, The Wall Street Journal has reported.

At Columbia’s commencement ceremony on Wednesday, the school’s acting president defended higher education and acknowledged the absence of Mahmoud Khalil, as pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested outside the school’s main gates.

Acting president Claire Shipman briefly mentioned Mr Khalil, who was arrested by immigration authorities in March while still a graduate student. Mr Khalil, who remains detained at an ICE facility in Louisiana, finished his credit requirements and had planned to walk in the graduation ceremony, according to his lawyer.

Ms Shipman told graduates that academic institutions are pillars of a healthy democracy and must be protected.

“We firmly believe that our international students have the same rights to freedom of speech as everyone else and they should not be targeted by the government for exercising that right,” Ms Shipman said.

Also on Thursday, the Trump administration rescinded Harvard University’s authorisation to enrol foreign students.

“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enrol foreign students,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The Wall Street Journal