The federal survey finds that Columbia University has shown “indifference” towards the harassment of Jewish students
A federal survey found that Columbia University had violated the rights of Jewish students since campus demonstrations settled after the terrorist attack led by Hamas on October 7 against Israel, the government announced on Thursday.
The American Department of Health and Social Services said that Columbia had shown “deliberate indifference towards student harassment on the study” and renewed calls for an agreement between the Trump and University administration.
“The results carefully document the hostile environment that Jewish students from the University of Columbia had to endure for more than 19 months, disturbing their education, their safety and their well-being,” said Anthony Archeval, acting director of the civil rights office of the US Health and Social Services Department, in a statement.
“We encourage Columbia University to work with us to conclude an agreement that reflects significant changes that will really protect Jewish students.”
The joint opinion, which was not made public, was published alongside the United States Ministry of Education, which did not make the request for comments on Thursday evening.
“We understand that this observation is one of our current discussions with the government,” the university said in a statement. “Columbia is deeply determined to fight anti -Semitism and all forms of harassment and discrimination on our campus. We take these questions seriously and we work with the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the Ministry of Education to resolve them. ”
The survey concluded that Columbia had not created effective means of reporting anti -Semitism until last summer, nor to respect the university's own policies and procedures during the response to complaints from Jewish students.
His announcement also said that Columbia had not investigated or had not taken disciplinary measures against vandalism, including several swastikas on academic goods, nor apply neutral restrictions on the contents of campus demonstrations.
The results come as Columbia officials negotiate with the Trump administration more than $ 400 million in federal subsidies and contracts canceled in the last semester for anti -Semitism allegations. These cuts led to layoffs of at least 180 researchers whose medical progress and other projects have been funded by the government.
It was not clear on Thursday what the opinion would mean for these negotiations, especially if other cancellations were to expect. Stand Columbia Society, a group of teachers and former students, estimated more than $ 2 billion in federal funding in danger in research grants, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, and the help of students, as well as side effects such as the reduction of international registrations for students.
“We are unequivocal and unfarolded for academic freedom, freedom of expression and institutional autonomy. But we are also for the continuous partnership between the American government and its main universities,” the group wrote in a statement on Thursday evening.
A source involved in discussions between the university and the administration suggested that the conclusion would be a necessary step that the government should take before the parties could reach a resolution, although no agreement has yet been concluded.
Interim president Claire Shipman previously said that Columbia “Reject the government's heavy orchestration”, “ Especially if this relates to what is taught at university or to whom they hire.
Federal health officials said their conclusions were based on witness interviews, own policies, media relationships and Columbia reports of a working group at university level on anti -Semitism.
Columbia became the epicenter of campus demonstrations against the Israeli military campaign in Gaza when the students presented a camp last spring calling for their administrators to depart from the war. The demonstration came to the head when a smaller group of demonstrators occupied Hamilton Hall, which prompted the university to call NYPD and to make mass arrests.
More recently, dozens of students took over the Butler library to protest the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a recent student graduated from Columbia, and what they consider as the role of Columbia in his arrest by the federal immigration authorities in early March.
Pro-Palestinian students and their allies accused Columbia and the Trump administration of confusing Israel's criticism with anti-Semitism.
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