U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced the Trump administration’s intent to strip Columbia University of its accreditation, citing inadequate protection of Jewish students amid campus protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
BBC News reports that the Columbia University accreditation controversy, detailed in a letter to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, accuses Columbia of violating anti-discrimination laws.
McMahon’s letter claims Columbia’s leadership showed “deliberate indifference” to harassment of Jewish students following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, labelling their actions “immoral” and “unlawful,” per The New York Times.
Trump’s Department of Education is removing Columbia University’s accreditation status for “acting with deliberate indifference toward student-on-student harassment of Jewish students.”
Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/yzf9yyXHPk
— AF Post (@AFpost) June 4, 2025The move jeopardises Columbia’s access to billions in federal funding, which is critical for universities. President Donald Trump, who previously cut $400 million from Columbia in February 2025 due to antisemitism allegations, criticised the university’s response.
Columbia’s Response and Context
Columbia responded by restructuring its Middle Eastern studies department to address the White House’s demands, but these efforts did not satisfy the administration. The university faces ongoing scrutiny alongside Harvard, which is also accused of antisemitism, per Bloomberg. The Trump Jewish student safety focus intensifies campus tensions, per The Guardian.
Linda McMahon’s letter to the Middle States Commission, an independent accrediting body, alleges that Columbia University violates accreditation standards. The claims of antisemitism could potentially impact federal funding policies, and legal disputes are anticipated as a result.
The ongoing debate over university funding in the U.S. highlights broader political divisions, as the Trump administration uses accreditation to ensure compliance.
