The Education Department is pressuring Columbia University’s accreditor to take action against the Ivy League school over findings that it failed to protect Jewish students from harassment.
The department on Wednesday told the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that Columbia should face action because it has been found in violation of antidiscrimination laws.
Accreditors work on behalf of the federal government to decide which colleges can accept federal financial aid. Without an accreditor’s seal of approval, Columbia could no longer accept students’ federal grants or loans.
“Just as the Department of Education has an obligation to uphold federal antidiscrimination law, university accreditors have an obligation to ensure member institutions abide by their standards,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.
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The announcement says the accreditor must take action against Columbia if it doesn’t come into compliance.
The Education Department and the Department of Health and Human Services determined on May 22 that Columbia violated federal law by acting with “deliberate indifference” toward the harassment of Jewish students.
Columbia and its accreditor did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
