US Education Department says Columbia University fails to meet accreditation standards
Education secretary says school’s leadership acted with 'deliberate indifference' toward harassment of Jewish students on campus
Columbia University
WASHINGTON
The US Education Department on Wednesday notified the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that Columbia University is in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws.
It ”therefore fails to meet the standards for accreditation set by the Commission," it said in a statement.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said Columbia University’s leadership acted with "deliberate indifference" toward the harassment of Jewish students on its campus after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.
"This is not only immoral, but also unlawful. Accreditors have an enormous public responsibility as gatekeepers of federal student aid," McMahon said in the statement.
University accreditors have an obligation to ensure member institutions abide by their standards, she noted.
"We look forward to the Commission keeping the Department fully informed of actions taken to ensure Columbia’s compliance with accreditation standards including compliance with federal civil rights laws," she added.
