The Department of Education sent a warning to the accreditor of Columbia University on Wednesday, saying the Ivy League institution violated federal anti-discrimination laws.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a press release that the decision came after the spate of protests on university grounds opposing the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
McMahon alleged Columbia leadership “acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus.”
“This is not only immoral, but also unlawful,” McMahon said.
Members of Columbia University’s faculty hold a protest in support of Palestine and for free speech on the Columbia University campus on November 15, 2023 in New York City. The university suspended two student organizations, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voices for Peace, for violating university policies. The tense atmosphere at many college campuses has increased as student groups, activists and others have protested both in support of Israel and Palestine (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Columbia is accused of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits recipients of federal funding from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin, according to the department.
The department said that by violating federal anti-discrimination laws, Columbia has failed to meet the standards of accreditation that have been set by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Now, the university’s federal accreditor is required to establish a plan to come into compliance with the federal law or “take appropriate action against” Columbia, the department said.
ABC News has reached out to Columbia University for a comment.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.