Columbia Settles Federal Antisemitism Probe for $221M

Columbia University has reached a settlement with the Trump administration, agreeing to pay over $220 million—including $200 million to the federal government and $21 million to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission—to resolve allegations of discrimination against Jewish students and staff during and after campus protests following October 7, 2023. The agreement restores access to most of $400 million in previously frozen federal research grants and requires Columbia to implement wide-ranging reforms, including banning race-based programming, enhancing protest security, and working with the NYPD. The university must also create new faculty positions to promote intellectual diversity and appoint independent monitors to ensure fair admissions and hiring practices. Columbia admitted no wrongdoing but acknowledged the need for reform and committed to ongoing efforts to address antisemitism. The settlement mandates ongoing federal oversight and codifies stricter disciplinary and anti-discrimination measures. It is regarded as one of the largest civil rights settlements involving a university.