Washington threatens Colombia University’s accreditation

THE US government threatened this week to strip New York's Columbia University of its accreditation for allegedly ignoring harassment of Jewish students, putting all of its federal funding and prestige at risk.

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With the move, the administration of President Donald Trump appeared to be doubling down on its efforts to bring several prestigious universities to heel over claims they tolerated campus anti-Semitism during protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.

Several top institutions, including Columbia University, have already bowed to far-reaching demands from the Trump administration, which claims that the educational elite is too left-wing.

“Columbia University looked the other way as Jewish students faced harassment,” US Education Secretary Linda McMahon said on X.

She accused the reputable Ivy League school of “breaking Title VI protections,” referring to a national law that prohibits recipients of federal funding from discriminating on the basis of race, colour, or national origin.