Education Department claims Columbia University no longer meets standards for accreditation

The Department of Education on Wednesday notified the accreditor responsible for New York City's Columbia University to let them know the school failed to meet accreditation standards by violating federal anti-discrimination laws.

The notification comes after the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR) found it violated Title IV by acting with "deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students."

The department said the finding means that the school has failed to meet accreditation standards that were set by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

“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 a statement. "This is not only immoral, but also unlawful."

Accreditors are responsible for making sure that schools comply with federal civil rights law in order to qualify for federal funding, including federal student aid assistance through student loans and Pell grants.

The Ivy League school, located in Manhattan, served as the epicenter of anti-Israel protests last year. Some protests also broke out earlier this year, including one protest that disrupted students who were trying to study for final exams.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.