Education Secretary Linda McMahon accused Columbia of failing to protect Jewish students.
Columbia University’s interim president Katrina Armstrong said late Friday the school is actively addressing the concerns raised by federal agencies after $400 million in grants and and contracts were revoked from the university over allegations of anti-Semitism on campus.
In a late-night message to alumni on March 7, Armstrong decried the loss of federal funding, promised to combat anti-Semitism, and signaled the school’s intention to work with the Trump administration to address its “legitimate concerns,” presumably in hopes of reversing the decision.
“Columbia is taking the government’s action very seriously,” Armstrong wrote. “I want to assure the entire Columbia community that we are committed to working with the federal government to address their legitimate concerns. To that end, Columbia can, and will, continue to take serious action toward combatting antisemitism on our campus. This is our number one priority.”
Her remarks follow the decision by the federal Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism to cancel $400 million in federal grants and contracts with Columbia, citing “persistent harassment of Jewish students” on campus. The Department of Justice, Department of Education, General Services Administration, and Department of Health and Human Services issued a joint statement on the matter, warning that additional cancellations were expected.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon accused Columbia of failing to protect Jewish students, referencing the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military response in Gaza as a turning point in the rise of anti-Semitic incidents on U.S. campuses.
“Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses–only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” McMahon said in a statement.
“Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding. For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus. Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer,” she added.
By Tom Ozimek
