Columbia University in New York recognized President Donald Trump’s “legitimate concerns” with how the school handled anti-Semitism allegations.
The statement comes after the Trump administration announced it was canceling $400 million in contracts and grants with the Ivy League institution, citing its “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell called the move “one of the tools we are using to respond to this spike in anti-Semitism.”
[RELATED: Columbia anti-Israel activists set up rocket plastered with face of university president]
In a Friday announcement to the Columbia University community, Interim President Katrina Armstrong addressed the funding cuts and pointed to steps the school has already taken to combat anti-Semitism on campus.
She announced that “[t]here is no question that the cancellation of these funds will immediately impact research and other critical functions of the University, impacting students, faculty, staff, research, and patient care,” but added that “Columbia is taking the government’s action very seriously.”
“I want to assure the entire Columbia community that we are committed to working with the federal government to address their legitimate concerns. To that end, Columbia can, and will, continue to take serious action toward combatting antisemitism on our campus,” she added.
She continued, saying that “Antisemitism, violence, discrimination, harassment, and other behaviors that violate our values or disrupt teaching, learning, or research are antithetical to our mission.”
[RELATED: Columbia deans who made fun of concerns about anti-Semitism resign]
Armstrong also listed several steps she has taken to address anti-Semitism, including increasing funding for campus security forces and “implement[ing] new anti-discrimination policies.”
In 2024, Columbia University became the scene of disruptive anti-Israel protests that took over the campus and inspired similar demonstrations elsewhere across the nation. The Columbia University protesters were frequently accused of spreading anti-Semitic propaganda and supporting terrorism.
Campus Reform contacted Columbia University for comment. This story will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
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