Columbia University’s woke policies just got a reality check from the Trump administration. On Wednesday, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights declared the institution in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws, putting its accreditation at risk, as the Washington Free Beacon reports. The move signals a broader push to hold universities accountable for failing to protect Jewish students.
The Trump administration notified Columbia’s accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, that the university failed to comply with civil rights laws. This follows a May 22 finding by the Education and Health and Human Services departments that Columbia showed deliberate indifference to discriminatory harassment against Jewish students. In one sentence: Columbia’s accreditation hangs in the balance after the Trump administration exposed its failure to address anti-Semitism, violating federal law and risking federal funding.
Back in April, campus radicals at Columbia stormed a library, hospitalized two security guards, and glorified Hamas’s violence in pamphlets. They even renamed the building after Bassel al-Araj, a Palestinian terrorist killed in 2017. These weren’t first-time offenders -- six arrested students had priors for violent campus disruptions, per the Washington Free Beacon.
Columbia’s response? Promises to “deal more aggressively” with agitators. Yet, the university’s track record suggests more talk than action, as Jewish students continue facing harassment. The Trump administration isn’t buying the empty rhetoric.
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights found Columbia’s inaction violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which protects students based on national origin, including shared ancestry. Secretary Linda McMahon didn’t mince words: “Columbia’s deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students is not only immoral, but also unlawful.” That’s a polite way of saying Columbia’s leadership has been asleep at the wheel.
Accreditation isn’t just a badge of honor -- it’s a lifeline. Without it, Columbia loses access to federal financial aid, including student loans, and its degrees turn into very expensive wallpaper. The Middle States Commission’s policies demand compliance with all government laws, and Columbia’s failure puts its standing in jeopardy.
McMahon laid it out clearly: “Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid.” She’s right -- accreditors decide which schools get taxpayer-backed loans and grants. Columbia’s progressive posturing might thrill the faculty lounge, but it’s failing the students it’s supposed to protect.
Universities rarely lose accreditation, but President Trump is shaking things up. On April 23, he signed an executive order simplifying the process for universities to switch accreditors and for new accreditors to gain federal recognition. It’s a direct shot at the cozy, left-leaning accreditation system that’s been rubber-stamping campus overreach for years.
The Trump administration has also frozen over $430 million in funding and pushed for new disciplinary measures to tackle campus anti-Semitism. This isn’t just about Columbia -- it’s a warning to every university coddling radicals while ignoring Jewish students’ safety. The days of sweeping anti-Semitism under the rug are over.
Columbia’s spokesperson claimed the university is “deeply committed to combating antisemitism on our campus.” Really? Tell that to the Jewish students dodging harassment while administrators clutch their pearls and issue press releases.
The spokesperson added, “We take this issue seriously and are continuing to work with the federal government to address it.” That sounds like bureaucratic damage control, not a plan to fix the problem. Columbia’s been caught red-handed, and now it’s scrambling to appease its accreditor.
The university insists it’s addressing the Education Department’s concerns with the Middle States Commission. But after months of inaction, it’s hard to take their promises seriously. Jewish students deserve better than lip service from administrators more interested in DEI optics than actual safety.
Accreditation used to focus on education quality, but accreditors, under the Education Department’s oversight, now weigh factors like DEI policies. McMahon nailed it: “University accreditors have an obligation to ensure member institutions abide by their standards.” Columbia’s failure to meet those standards isn’t just a paperwork issue -- it’s a moral one.
The Trump administration’s push to reform accreditation is a long-overdue wake-up call. By tying federal funding to compliance with civil rights laws, the administration is forcing universities to prioritize students over ideology. Columbia’s predicament is a test case for whether accreditors will finally grow a spine.
For too long, universities like Columbia have hidden behind progressive platitudes while Jewish students bear the brunt of unchecked radicalism. The Trump administration’s crackdown is a bold step toward restoring sanity on campus. If Columbia wants to keep its accreditation, it’s time to stop pandering to agitators and start protecting all students equally.
