The Ministry of Education has publicly called on Columbia University’s Christian Higher Education Commission to take action against the university on suspicion of non-compliance with federal non-discrimination laws.
In a press release Wednesday, officials wrote that Colombia was found to have “unintentionally harassing Jewish students, thus violating Chapter VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” Officials said: “Colombia failed to meaningfully protect Jewish students from serious and widespread harassment on Colombian campuses, thus denying that these students have equal access to educational opportunities enjoyed under the law.” Because of this discovery, ED called on MSCHE to take action on the matter.
Education Minister Linda McMahon accused the university of failing to protect Jewish students on campus following the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas, and believed that the lapse was “not only immoral, but also illegal.”
McMahon added that it is obliged to ensure members comply with their standards and called on MSCHE to notify the department of compliance actions taken against Colombia. ED said MSCHE should ask Colombia to develop a plan to ensure compliance.
“We are aware of the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) today’s press release about Columbia University and can confirm that we received a letter on the matter this afternoon,” MSCHE President Heather Perfetti said in a statement. “This letter is part of the commitment reflected in the Executive Order to provide the accreditor with the results of any violations conducted after the investigation was conducted by the member agency. [sic] Civil rights. In line with the Commission’s management of findings, we will handle them in accordance with our policies and procedures. ”
The latest effort by the Trump administration to call on MSCHE to take action against Colombia is to make further changes in an agency after October 7, which is on how it handles how it handles the agency.
Colombia has succumbed to the Trump administration’s call for a total change, agreeing to amend discipline procedures in March, hiring campus police, and possessing arrest authorities, and appointing a new senior vice provost to oversee academic programs focused on the Middle East, among other concerns about academic freedom. However, university officials seem to have rejected the government’s desire for a consent order.
The Trump administration has also frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding, an effort that continues even after university officials agree to various requests.
Colombian officials acknowledged the exchange between Ed and Msche in a statement.
“Columbia is aware of the concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights for our Governor’s Secondary Higher Education Commission, and we have addressed these issues directly with Mid-State. Columbia is deeply committed to fighting anti-Semitism on our campuses. We take this issue seriously and continue to contact the federal government to address the company’s officials.”
Wednesday’s news caused confusion (and some critics’ celebrations) as many social media users mistakenly interpreted the news as it means Colombia lost its certification. However, the federal government has no right to deprive the certification. As experts have pointed out before, only accreditors can determine whether a university is non-compliant.
(This article has been updated to add statements from MSCHE and Colombia.)
