U.S. mulls Columbia University funding cuts over anti-Semitism row

Students gather for a rally in support of a protest encampment on campus in support of Palestinians in New York City, U.S., on April 29, 2024. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The U.S. government said it was considering scrapping more than $50 million in contracts with New York’s Columbia University over allegations it failed to protect Jewish students.

The prestigious Ivy League school found itself at the center of a firestorm last year over claims of anti-Semitism triggered by campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.

Also read | Columbia’s President resigns after months of turmoil punctuated by clashes over Israel-Hamas war

Some Jewish students and campaign groups said Jewish students were intimidated and that authorities did not act to protect them.

The protests that roiled Columbia and other U.S. schools culminated in Congress grilling higher education leaders about accusations of anti-Semitism and whether enough was being done to keep Jewish students safe.

Columbia’s president Minouche Shafik resigned last August just weeks before the start of the new school year, citing scrutiny she faced over her handling of the demonstrations.

“Given Columbia’s ongoing inaction in the face of relentless harassment of Jewish students, the Federal Government’s Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government,” the Health Department, education department and U.S. General Services Administration said in a joint statement Monday.

“The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University to ensure the university is in compliance with federal regulations, including its civil rights responsibilities.”

The task force, which was set up by President Donald Trump in February, said last week it planned to visit Columbia and nine other universities that “have experienced antisemitic incidents” since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October 2023.

“Americans have watched in horror for more than a year now, as Jewish students have been assaulted and harassed on elite university campuses,” education secretary Linda McMahon said.

“Institutions that receive federal funds have a responsibility to protect all students from discrimination. Columbia’s apparent failure to uphold their end of this basic agreement raises very serious questions about the institution’s fitness to continue doing business with the United States government.”

Responding to the agencies’ statement, Columbia University said it “is fully committed to combatting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.”

It added that it looked forward to “ongoing work with the new federal administration to fight antisemitism” and was “resolute that calling for, promoting, or glorifying violence or terror has no place at our University”.