{UAH} COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HAS STARTED TO CAVE

Columbia caves to Trump’s demands after $400M threat over campus antisemitism, will institute mask ban and more oversight

By Emily Crane

Published March 21, 2025, 4:25 p.m. ET

Columbia University has caved to the demands of the Trump administration to restore $400 million in federal funding that was yanked over antisemitism on campus, according to a report Friday.

The Morningside Heights university — which had become the epicenter of violent anti-Israel protests — agreed to implement a mask ban and put new leadership in charge of reviewing curriculum for its Middle East, South Asian and African Studies department and Center for Palestine Studies, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a memo to the administration.

Columbia agreed to implement a mask ban and put new leadership in charge of reviewing curriculum for its Middle East, South Asian and African Studies department and Center for Palestine Studies.YURI GRIPAS/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The school will also empower 36 campus cops to arrest students.D

The Trump administration yanked roughly $400 million in grants and contracts from the elite school back on March 7 over its failure to stamp out antisemitism on its campus.

It threatened, too, to claw back billions more over the Ivy League’s handling of anti-Israel protests.

The school also plans to empower 36 campus cops to arrest students.James Keivom

The threats only escalated last week when the administration released a list of nine demands that Trump officials called a “precondition” for receiving any future federal cash.

The Trump administration yanked roughly $400 million in grants and contracts from the elite school back on March 7 over its failure to stamp out antisemitism on its campus.AP

Giving the university a Friday deadline to comply, Columbia was instructed to “enforce existing disciplinary policies” — namely by punishing those responsible for the violent takeover of Hamilton Hall in April 2024 that saw dozens of masked anti-Israel rioters smashing their way inside.

“Meaningful discipline means expulsion or multi-year suspension,” the demand stated.

Among the other changes the White House called for was a reorganization of discipline processes and abolishing its University Judicial Board, as well as placing the school’s Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies Department into “academic receivership.”

Columbia was instructed to also punish those responsible for the violent takeover of Hamilton Hall in April 2024.LP MediaD

Academic receiverships are a rare meant to fix a dysfunctional department by putting a professor or administrator outside the department in charge.

A ban on masks — aside from those worn for religious and health reasons — was also on the list.  

“Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses — only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said when the frozen funds were first announced.

The Trump administration also threatened to revoke even more funding over Columbia’s handling of the anti-Israel protests.Robert Miller

“Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding. For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus. Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer.”D

The $400 million in pulled grants amounted to roughly 8% of the university’s US-taxpayer funding.

At the time, Brian Cohen, executive director of Columbia and Barnard’s Hillel chapter, said he hoped it would serve as a wake-up call to administrators.

The $400 million in pulled grants amounted to roughly 8% of the university’s US-taxpayer funding.James Keivom

“Columbia has an antisemitism crisis, and for months, I have worked with faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni to urge the administration to act quickly to address this crisis and avoid lasting damage to the University,” he said.

“I hope this federal action is a wake-up call to Columbia’s administration and trustees to take antisemitism and the harassment of Jewish students and faculty seriously so that these grants can be restored, the vital work of the University can continue, and that Columbia can become, once again, a place where the Jewish community thrives.”

At the time, Brian Cohen, executive director of Columbia and Barnard’s Hillel chapter, said he hoped it would serve as a wake-up call to administrators.Robert Miller

Still, the Ivy League has remained quiet about its plans — even as the deadline inched closer.

The university repeatedly declined to comment on the status of negotiations.

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