Trump administration secures $221 million antisemitism settlement with Columbia University

President Donald Trump’s administration has reached a $221 million settlement with Columbia University, resolving multiple federal civil rights investigations, including claims of antisemitic discrimination on campus.

The deal, announced this week, is being called the largest antisemitism-related settlement in U.S. history by the White House.

The agreement allocates $200 million over three years to address alleged long-term discriminatory practices and an additional $21 million to resolve accusations of antisemitic employment discrimination against Jewish faculty in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel. While Columbia confirmed the settlement figures, it did not characterize the deal as historic.

In exchange, Columbia will see the reinstatement of billions of dollars in suspended federal research grants and must comply with oversight measures, including an independent monitor.

The university has agreed to sweeping institutional reforms: changes to campus protest policies, enhanced training, new disciplinary structures, and a shift in decision-making authority from faculty to administrators.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon, in a statement to Fox News Digital, called the settlement “a seismic shift” in confronting antisemitism on American campuses.

“For decades, the American public has watched in horror as our elite campuses have been overrun by anti-western teachings and a leftist groupthink,” she said.

“These dangerous trends fueled the outbreak of violent antisemitism that paralyzed campuses after the October 7th massacre.”

Columbia confirmed that most of its federal grants, including those from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services, will be restored. The university noted that any remaining withheld funding reflects unrelated federal budget cuts.

The settlement formally enshrines several reforms Columbia had already announced, including campus safety enhancements, new training and reporting structures, and the appointment of coordinators under Title VI and Title VII.

It also includes Columbia’s recent adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

The university did not publicly comment on the White House’s claim that it will review its Middle East programs or international student admissions procedures.

Columbia/Barnard Hillel, the university’s Jewish student life organization, welcomed the settlement.

Executive Director Brian Cohen said, “This announcement is an important recognition of what Jewish students and their families have expressed with increasing urgency: antisemitism at Columbia is real, and it has had a tangible impact.”

Acting President Claire Shipman said the deal preserves academic independence and allows vital research to resume.

Columbia did not admit wrongdoing but acknowledged a need for reform following “painful, unacceptable incidents” impacting Jewish members of its community.