OAN Staff Brook Mallory
5:31pm – Friday, March 7th, 2025
On Friday, the Trump administration revoked Columbia University's contract and grants over $400 million, claiming Ivy League University had violated non-discrimination regulations.
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About 8% of the university's US government funding had been withdrawn, according to the Federal Anti-Semitism Task Force, which was brought together by President Trump. This includes representatives from the General Services Agency (GSA), Department of Justice, Health and Human Resources (HHS), and Education Department.
“Since October 7th, Jewish students have faced unrelenting violence, intimidation and anti-Semitic harassment on campus, only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.
“Universities must comply with all federal prevention laws when receiving federal funds. For a long time, Columbia has waived that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus. Today, we show Columbia and other universities that they no longer tolerate their horrific inaction.”
The joint task force fighting anti-Semitism said in their announcement that more funding cuts are likely to occur in the future.
“There's an anti-Semitism crisis in Colombia. For months, I've worked with faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni to urge the administration to act quickly to deal with this crisis and avoid lasting damage to the university.”
“This federal action is a wake-up call to take Colombian regime and anti-Semitism and harassment of Jewish students and faculty seriously, and we hope that important university work can continue to help restore these grants and that Colombia can once again become a place where the Jewish community can flourish.”
The revoked funds and contracts were not immediately made public by the Joint Task Group.
DOJ, HHS and the education department have given GSA the authority to impose a “suspension work order” on the hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants received by Colombia.
Earlier this week, federal authorities indicated that at least $51.4 million in contract was prepared for fire.
Ivy League University is currently reviewing more than $5 billion in funding commitments from the federal government.
A financial audit of Colombia began on Monday after a series of anti-Semitism cases on campus and an ongoing federal civil rights investigation.
“We are pledged to consider announcements from federal agencies and work with the federal government to restore federal funds in Columbia,” a university spokesperson said in a statement.
“We take Colombia's legal obligations seriously and are committed to fighting anti-Semitism and ensuring the safety and welfare of our students, faculty and staff.”
Meanwhile, the university has yet to “not respond” to the anti-Semitism task force's request for information necessary for a Title VI investigation, referring to a portion of the 1964 Federal Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination against basis of race, color and national origin in programs that receive federal funds.
“Anti-Semitism clearly contradicts the fundamental values that should inform liberal education,” said Sean Quebeney, a general counsel on the HHS agency and a member of the task force.
“Columbia University's self-satisfaction is unacceptable.”
On “Fox and Friends,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the Colombian investigation by the Civil Rights Office of the Education sector “confirms that it is currently one of five surveys into different universities and does not allow anti-Semitism.”
The University of Minnesota, University of California, Berkeley, Portland State University and Northwestern University are other institutions being investigated.
“To forgive this kind of anxiety, this is not about freedom of speech,” the education secretary said of the university's actions. “They must quell these uprisings and allow teachers to be attacked and other students to be attacked.”
Following on October 7th in Hamasth2023, attacks on Israel, and anti-Semitic abuse and threats were seen at Colombia's Morningside Heights campus for more than a year. Towards the end of the spring semester in 2024, protesters flocked to Colombia and established a city of tents. They then took over the famous Hamilton Hall building before the NYPD was forced to leave.
The results of a terrible House Republican report released in December showed that only four children were suspended and none of the participating students were expelled.
“Columbia said 22 students arrested for the Hamilton Hall criminal acquisition would face expulsion. Instead, the university lifted its provisional suspension of students after a transfer from radical faculty, seven graduated, 11 well restored, halted existing sanctions and left one on probation,” the report said. Post.
Hamas, the terrorist group itself, has openly expressed support for undergraduate students' protests in Colombia.
“We believe that the popular movement, which calls for an attack on our people and an end to genocide amidst the Hamas movement, is a useful and supportive activity for our cause,” said Hamas spokesman Bassem Naim. Newsweek.
Meanwhile, Israeli watchdog group Shutdown Science also commented on the upcoming news.
“The era of the federal government that allows for Jewish hatred is over,” declared Watchdog Group's halt statisticalism. “We praise the Trump administration for listening to the call for a refund to Columbia University, urging that this is the first of many critical actions.”
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