President Trump has reached a $220 million settlement with Columbia University, marking another victory in the president's effort to reform higher education.
It's a stunning capitulation from one of America's leading universities, one that has been at the center of unrest over the Israel-Gaza war and debates about anti-Semitism on college campuses.
"Columbia has agreed to pay a penalty of $200 Million Dollars to the United States Government for violating Federal Law, in addition to over $20 Million to their Jewish employees who were unlawfully targeted and harassed," Trump said in a post on his social media site, Truth Social.
"Numerous other Higher Education Institutions that have hurt so many, and been so unfair and unjust, and have wrongly spent federal money, much of it from our government, are upcoming," Trump added.
The concessions Columbia agreed to are significant. As reported by the school's newspaper, in addition to paying the government to get out of legal trouble, the school agreed to release detailed admissions data, providing insight into the race and test scores of students who were either accepted or rejected by the university. Columbia must admit students based on merit and comply with laws against discriminatory practices like affirmative action and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
An independent monitor will be appointed to ensure Columbia observes the terms of the agreement, which also codifies reforms that Columbia agreed to in March, including a ban on masks, restrictions on protests, and changes to the school's Middle Eastern Studies Department. Those demands stemmed from Columbia's alleged failure to protect Jewish students from harassment.
Under its deal with Trump, Columbia will pay $200 million over three years to settle civil rights investigations, plus another $21 million to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
In exchange, the White House will release most of the $400 million in research funding that Trump froze earlier this year to pressure Columbia.
While the agreement is a major win for Trump, Columbia denies having caved. The school points to part of the deal that says Columbia will retain academic independence.
Claire Shipman, Columbia’s acting president, said the settlement "was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track.”
But the settlement is widely seen by Trump critics as another demoralizing victory for the president, who has secured a series of concessions from leading law firms, news organizations and elite colleges in his crusade to rid America of left-wing ideology.
“I am deeply disappointed by reports of Columbia University’s outrageous and embarrassing $200 million capitulation to the Trump Administration’s repugnant extortion campaign,” said Rep. Jerry Nadler (D) on X.
“[M]y alma mater has allowed a once highly-respected institution to succumb to the Trump Administration’s coercive and exploitative tactics,” Nadler added. “Columbia has effectively waived the white flag of surrender in its battle at the heart of the Trump Administration’s war on higher education and academic freedom.”
The settlement comes days after Barack Obama, a Columbia graduate, gave a speech chastising liberal elites for giving in to Trump.
