Columbia University Agrees to $200 Million Fine to Settle Fight With Trump

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/nyregion/columbia-trump-funding-deal.html

Columbia Agrees to $200 Million Fine to Settle Fight With Trump
The White House had canceled more than $400 million in research funding to the university, saying it had failed to protect Jewish students from harassment.
By Sharon Otterman
July 23, 2025 Updated 10:32 p.m. ET

Columbia University will pay a $200 million fine to settle allegations from the Trump administration that it failed to do enough to stop the harassment of Jewish students, part of a sweeping deal reached on Wednesday to restore the university’s federal research funding, according to a statement from the university.

In exchange for the return of hundreds of millions in research grants, Columbia will also pledge to follow laws banning the consideration of race in admissions and hiring, and follow through on other commitments to reduce antisemitism and unrest on campus that it agreed to in March.

The deal, which settles more than a half-dozen open civil rights investigations into the university, will be overseen by an independent monitor agreed to by both sides who will report to the government on its progress every six months. Columbia will also pay $21 million to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty,” Claire Shipman, Columbia’s acting president, said in the release. “The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track.”

The deal is a significant milestone in the Trump administration’s quest to bring elite universities to heel. Columbia is the first university to reach a negotiated settlement over antisemitism claims. Harvard, which has sued the administration over funding cuts, is also negotiating for restoration of its federal money. The expectation is that the Columbia settlement will provide a template for future deals.

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[Takket]

1. Honestly cannot believe any student would go there.

[FHRRK]

3. Agree

They have effectively knocked themselves down to tier two status.

The Alums should be at the gates with pitch forks.

[pcdb]

5. I doubt they'll have many Jewish students going forward

[JI7]

15. Hopefully they stop donating also

[Initech]

11. This reeks of Charlie Kirk meddling.

That worthless piece of shit needs to be permanently banned from the White House.

[Ms. Toad]

2. And another firewall fails.

Law firms, media, educational institutions - all of these are entities I expected to hold firm against Trump, not cave. This is what is most disheartening about this second term. All of the institutions I expected to act responsibly are cowering.

[Melon]

7. Huh...the college literally allowed signs calling for harm against Jews.

They should be chastised and they are paying because they allowed pro hamas rally’s calling for the death of Jews and students barred Jewish students from entering areas of the campus. They deserve this.

[Ms. Toad]

9. And what does that have to do with Trump's extortion -

withholding completely unrelated research grants, and demanding concessions on DEI issues and money in order to have the grants restored?

There are direct means to deal with antisemitism, and they don't involve crippling core unrelated programs at the University.

[Melon]

10. The government pays the University $400MM

A year. That is our money. Taxpayer money. My money. The college knew of what was happening but took no action. So now they end up paying back half of what the government gives them each year.
I would be happier if they were fined $400milliin and my taxpayer money did not fund antisemitism.

I’m not jumping in to support the admin, but the college did nothing on their own until their feet were held to the fire. This occurred directly due to their in action.

[Ms. Toad]

12. Look beyond the details of this situation.

The money going to Columbia is funding research in science, technology, and medicine. Critical areas which Trump is trying to defund across the board - especially for anyone or any institution which he doesn't like. Your money is not funding anti-semitism. It is funding critically needed research. It is funding training future scientists and doctors. To the extent that Columbia didn't act quickly enough or assertively enough with regard to student antisemitic actions, the solution is not to threaten to cripple the University. It is to work through the proper civil rights channels to determine and impose an appropriate punishment.

If you applaud him for defunding Columbia due to "allowing" antisemitism, then you also need to applaud him blocking law firms for representing his political appointments, or barring funding to fight California fires because he doesn't like their support of immigrants, or defunding schools because they allow trans women to play on women's sports teams, or stripping government contracts from companies which don't pay enough homage to the mango menace.

The executive branch has no business extorting universities, states, law firms, media to make them conform to his political views - even if one of the excuses he happens to use for the extortion happens to be one you agree with, because if you cheer it in one instance you cannot turn around and condemn the practice the many times uses it to gain conformance with the many views he holds which you don't agree with. And shame on any of those entities who cower to his threats.

[Melon]

13. The university has an endowment of $14.8 Billion

$200MM is nothing and frankly not enough. They should fund their programs from the endowments. They deserve worse. What was happening was on tv nightly. They ignored this and dare I say fed into it. They gave the protestors a safe place, allowed them to take over buildings, etc. etc. while discriminating against part of the student body based on race and religion.

I absolutely cheer it on. This is a black eye that it was allowed to happen. I don’t support Colombia one iota any longer.

[Ms. Toad]

17. It isn't about Columbia

It is about the principle that the president is not the king, or a dictator.

If you cheer him using the might of the federal government to punish a person or institution you happen to hate, you have no right to complain when he does the same thing to someone you support. Like blue states, Stephen Colbert, immigrants, corporations which value diversity, fact-based media, etc.

[AZJonnie]

6. Yeah, good question ... who is this check written TO, exactly?

Inquiring minds want to know

[UTUSN]

8. Welp there we go. But is it true that settlements like ABC/CBS can be written off?

[Kid Berwyn]

14. Shame on Columbia

Stand up for what’s right, not what a gangster demands.

[krawhitham]

16. So we'll turn the tax payer paid research funding faucet back on, if you slide half back to us to line our pockets