Columbia University to Pay $221 Million to Close Investigations Launched by Trump

SadaNews - Columbia University announced that it will pay $221 million to close investigations initiated by former President Donald Trump's administration regarding its alleged failure to address "anti-Semitism" on its campus, particularly during pro-Palestine protests that took place at various U.S. universities last year, in the wake of the genocide campaign waged by Israel against the Gaza Strip with U.S. support. The university stated in a statement that "under today's agreement, most of the federal grants that were canceled or suspended in March 2025 will be reinstated, and Columbia will regain access to billions of dollars in current and future grants." The New York university clarified in its statement that, under this comprehensive agreement, it has agreed to a series of commitments, including compliance with rules that prohibit it from taking race into account in student admissions or employment procedures. The statement added: "Columbia University has reached an agreement with the U.S. government to close multiple investigations conducted by federal agencies regarding allegations of violations of federal anti-discrimination laws." According to the statement, the settlement stipulates that Columbia will pay $200 million over three years, in addition to $21 million that the university will pay to close the investigations conducted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. By regaining federal funding, the university will be able to address the increasing financial pressures it is facing. This agreement represents a victory for Trump, who has repeatedly stated that elite universities brainwash students with their left-leaning bias against his nationalist ideas. Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is engaged in a similar dispute with the Trump administration, which has withheld federal funding from it. The agreement reached on Wednesday, crafted very carefully as Columbia did not admit any wrongdoing, may serve as a framework for similar future agreements. Claire Shipman, Acting President of Columbia University, said in the statement that "this agreement represents an important step forward after a period of ongoing federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty." She added that "this settlement has been carefully designed to protect the values that define us, and to enable our essential research partnership with the federal government to return to its proper course." Shipman emphasized that "most importantly, this settlement protects our independence, which is crucial for academic excellence and scientific exploration, both vital to the public interest." According to the New York Post, the settlement allows Columbia University to maintain a security force to prevent demonstrations in academic settings, such as those that rocked the campus last year when pro-Palestine protesters clashed with law enforcement and occupied several university buildings in response to U.S. support for the genocide in Gaza. The paper added that the settlement also stipulates stricter auditing of non-American students, sharing the information collected during this process with the government, and informing it of any disciplinary actions taken against foreign students. Last year, Columbia found itself at the center of a storm after the prestigious university was accused of "anti-Semitism" due to protests that took place on campus against the genocide waged by Israel against the Gaza Strip, the majority of whose victims were children and women.