Education Dept. threatens Columbia University’s accreditation

The Education Department said Wednesday that Columbia University has violated federal antidiscrimination laws and has therefore failed to meet accreditation standards.

The department’s civil rights office notified the Middle States Commission on Higher Education — which accredits U.S. colleges and universities — that Columbia was out of compliance, according to a news release from the Education Department.

The department, citing President Trump’s executive order on accreditation standards, accused the university’s leaders of failing to address antisemitism on campus after the Oct. 7 attack against Israel by Hamas.

“After Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, Columbia University’s leadership acted with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in the release. 

She noted that the accreditation commission has “an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid,” and they “determine which institutions are eligible for federal student loans and Pell Grants.” Losing its accreditation would mean that Columbia would be ineligible to offer federal financial aid to students attending the university.

“In light of OCR’s determination, Columbia University no longer appears to meet the Commission’s accreditation standards,” the department release said.

A Columbia spokesperson told CBS News the school is aware of the Department of Education’s concerns and has “addressed those concerns directly with Middle States,” referring to its accreditor. The spokesperson also said the school is “deeply committed to combating antisemitism on our campus” and is “continuing to work with the federal government to address it.”

The accreditation group confirmed to CBS News it received a letter Wednesday on the Department of Education’s issues with Columbia, but did not comment further.

Last month, the civil rights offices of the Education Department and Department of Health and Human Services determined that Columbia had “failed to meaningfully protect Jewish students against severe and pervasive harassment on Columbia’s campus and consequently denied these students’ equal access to educational opportunities to which they are entitled under the law.” 

This is a developing story and will be updated.