The U.S. Department of Education, under the direction of President Donald Trump, has launched an investigation into five universities, including Columbia University, over claims of widespread antisemitic harassment. This follows months of escalating campus protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

 

Columbia University, Northwestern University, Portland State University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities are now facing federal scrutiny after student demonstrations calling for divestment from Israel sometimes led to clashes with pro-Israel groups. Columbia became the epicenter of these protests in April 2024 when its Students for Justice in Palestine chapter organized a 24/7 encampment, sparking a nationwide movement.

 

Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education, criticized universities for failing to address antisemitic incidents. “Too many universities have tolerated widespread antisemitic harassment and the illegal encampments that paralyzed campus life last year, driving Jewish life and religious expression underground. The Biden Administration’s toothless resolution agreements did shamefully little to hold those institutions accountable,” Trainor stated.

 

He further emphasized the administration’s firm stance, saying, “Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses, nor will it stand by idly if universities fail to combat Jew hatred and the unlawful harassment and violence it animates.”

 

The investigations are being conducted under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on national origin and shared ancestry. This move aligns with Trump’s recent executive order instructing federal agencies to identify all available civil and criminal actions to counter antisemitism, including exploring the deportation of foreign students involved in such activities.

 

Columbia’s protests, which lasted for weeks, saw students chanting slogans like “NYPD, KKK, IDF, you’re all the same” and calling for an “intifada revolution.” The situation escalated when demonstrators broke into Hamilton Hall, prompting the university to call in law enforcement. While several protesters were arrested, no students were expelled, and those initially suspended were eventually reinstated.

 

Jewish students and alumni have repeatedly criticized Columbia’s leadership for what they perceive as a failure to curb antisemitism on campus. Ari Shrage, a member of the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, expressed his frustration: “Despite our pleas, the University’s administration and Trustees continue issuing empty statements and ignoring antisemitism on campus.”

 

The backlash against Columbia’s handling of the protests has been significant. The university experienced a 29% drop in donations, equating to approximately $21.4 million in lost funding.

 

In response to the DOE’s latest move, Columbia officials stated that they are reviewing the new communication from Trump’s administration.

 

Based on a report by NYP 2025-02-06

 

 

2 hours ago, Social Media said:

nor will it stand by idly if universities fail to combat Jew hatred and the unlawful harassment and violence it animates.”

But Palestinian civil rights - forget about it.

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

But Palestinian civil rights - forget about it.

The muslims take up their issues with Hamas, who caused this mess in the first place.  And Palestine doesn't exist legally.  These people are 99% muslims so call a spade a spade.

3 minutes ago, koolkarl said:

The muslims take up their issues with Hamas, who caused this mess in the first place.  And Palestine doesn't exist legally.  These people are 99% muslims so call a spade a spade.

There would be no hamas without the democrats funding them. Speaking of which, i dare any lefties to come post in this topic. Wont happen

5 hours ago, koolkarl said:

The muslims take up their issues with Hamas, who caused this mess in the first place.  And Palestine doesn't exist legally.  These people are 99% muslims so call a spade a spade.

Muslim US Allies in the Middle East: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordon; others nearby Turkey, Pakistan. Iraq as strategic partners. Under a Trump administration, US diplomatic relationship with all them has and will deteriorate, damaging US worldwide security.

6 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Muslim US Allies in the Middle East: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordon; others nearby Turkey, Pakistan. Iraq as strategic partners. Under a Trump administration, US diplomatic relationship with all them has and will deteriorate, damaging US worldwide security.

 

The ones you call "Allies" are allies in name only. The same way that Iran was an allie. Until it wasn't.

 

The US has no muslim allies.

Only 5?  At Berserkly is one of them.

16 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Muslim US Allies in the Middle East: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordon; others nearby Turkey, Pakistan. Iraq as strategic partners. Under a Trump administration, US diplomatic relationship with all them has and will deteriorate, damaging US worldwide security.

This is very oversimplified, he will just stop giving them money (to most of them) Saudi, Bahrain and Pakistan probably prefer Trump as for Turkey, Jordan or Irag who cares?

22 minutes ago, PomPolo said:

This is very oversimplified, he will just stop giving them money (to most of them) Saudi, Bahrain and Pakistan probably prefer Trump as for Turkey, Jordan or Irag who cares?

Over simplified you say.

49 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Muslim US Allies in the Middle East: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordon; others nearby Turkey, Pakistan. Iraq as strategic partners. Under a Trump administration, US diplomatic relationship with all them has and will deteriorate, damaging US worldwide security.

 

Deleted .

Just read the topic heading and noticed that its way off topic 

 

 

45 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Muslim US Allies in the Middle East: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordon; others nearby Turkey, Pakistan. Iraq as strategic partners. Under a Trump administration, US diplomatic relationship with all them has and will deteriorate, damaging US worldwide security.

The biden administration caused october 7th to happen. It cant get any worse under trump 

6 hours ago, Srikcir said:

But Palestinian civil rights - forget about it.

 

   This is an anti semitism issue in the USA , its not about Middle Eastern issues 

4 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   This is an anti semitism issue in the USA , its not about Middle Eastern issues 

The OP suggests a link:

 

 

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

This follows months of escalating campus protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict

 

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The OP suggests a link:

 

 

   But this thread is about the anti semitism in USA campuses , its not about Palestinians civil rights .

   USA Jews are not Israelis .

The Left would be furious if people began attacking Muslims in the USA because of the latest Muslim terror attack .

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

Columbia University, Northwestern University, Portland State University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities are now facing federal scrutiny after student demonstrations calling for divestment from Israel sometimes led to clashes with pro-Israel groups.

 

This investigation should be nationwide. And it should be broadened to all acts of political intimidation and threats towards students and faculty. Best way to start is to pull their funding. And tax their endowments. Taxing endowments for all universities should take place anyway. 

1 minute ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   But this thread is about the anti semitism in USA campuses , its not about Palestinians civil rights .

   USA Jews are not Israelis .

The Left would be furious if people began attacking Muslims in the USA because of the latest Muslim terror attack .

I can’t speak for the whole of ‘the left’ but I personally do not support attacks on any group of people on the basis of actions those victims had no part in.

 

It’s a point of view I’ve expressed many times and consistently held.

16 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Over simplified you say.

Hahaha OK I probably deserved that I could go into it into a bunch more detail about why Trumps Muslim (not allied) friendly countries would not cause an issue in world security as the previous poster suggested.

It would take a whole new topic 🙂 audi Trump is buddies with MBS, Bahrain closer to Israel after the Abraham Accords and Pakistan formerly with him having a relationship with Imran Kahn obviously not now but a similar common goal towards Afghanistan but that is always up and down.  Turkey buy Russian stuff, Jordan hates Isreal and the US are still killing stoopid Iraqis that don't learn etc. but Iraq still hate ISIS nearly as much as the US do so some common ground there!

It only takes one to put them in their place.

 

 

Good.

 

It's about time anti-semitism was driven out of American colleges before the extreme leftist Professors brainwash the people who will lead the country's future. 

 

This is long, long overdue; well done Mr President; the left wing seat sniffers on here won't like it though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

23 hours ago, hotsun said:

There would be no hamas without the democrats funding them. Speaking of which, i dare any lefties to come post in this topic. Wont happen

here's a short list of the corruption from the left....

can't wait until they get into the meat and potato's

 

$2 million

for sex changes and "LGBT activism" in Guatemala.

$6 million

to fund tourism in Egypt.

Spent

$20 million on “Ahlan Simsim” — a new Sesame Street show in Iraq.

Over $4.5 million

to “combat disinformation” in Kazakhstan.

Up to $10 million

worth of USAID-funded meals went to al Qaeda-linked terrorist group the Nusra Front.

$500,000

to group that “empowers women” in an attempt to solve sectarian violence in Israel just 10 days before Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks. Awarded

nearly $25 million

to Deloitte to promote green transportation in Georgia (the country). 

$4.67 million

to EcoHealth Alliance, one of the key nongovernmental organizations funding bat virus research at Wuhan Institute of Virology, in late 2021. Later

refused

to answer key questions about the funding.  

$20 million

for the Strengthening Transparency and Accountability through Investigative Reporting program which used the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project as its implementing partner. The OCCRP was cited four times in the

whistleblower letter

that led to the Russiagate impeachment.  USAID’s

2022-2030 climate strategy

outlined a $150 billion “whole-of-Agency approach” to building an "equitable world with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions."

$7.9 million

to a project that would

teach

Sri Lankan journalists to avoid “binary-gendered language.”

$1.1 million

 

to an Armenian LGBT group.  

$1.2 million

to the African Methodist Episcopal Church Service and Development Agency in Washington, D.C., to build “a state-of-the-art 440-seat auditorium.”

$1.3 million

to Arab and Jewish photographers.

$1.5 million

to promote LGBT advocacy in Jamaica.

$1.5 million

to “rebuild” the Cuban media ecosystem.

$1.5 million

for “art for inclusion of people with disabilities.”

$2 million

to promote “LGBT equality through entrepreneurship … in developing Latin American countries.”

 

$2.1 million

so the BBC can strengthen the media ecosystem in Libya, “designed to value the diversity of Libyan society.”

$2.3 million

for “artisanal and small-scale gold mining” in the Amazon.

$2.5 million

to promote “inclusion” in Vietnam.

$3.9 million

to LGBT causes in the Western Balkans. 

$5.5 million

to LGBT in Uganda.

$6 million

to advance LGBT in “priority countries around the world.”

$6 million

to “Transform Digital Spaces to Reflect Feminist Democratic Principles.”

$6.3 million

to men who have sex with men in South Africa.

$8.3 million

for “USAID Education: Equity and Inclusion.”

Another $16.8 million

to a separate group in Vietnam for “inclusion.”