Columbia University is facing a $400 million funding cut, an additional $30 million funding cut, and now a federal investigation after complaints from janitors who were forced to clean antisemitic graffiti and later attacked by an anti-Israel mob. The Trump administration is taking antisemitism very seriously – and American universities are finally waking up.
At a glance:
- Columbia University has lost $400 million in federal grants after the Trump administration determined it failed to protect Jewish students
- Two university janitors filed discrimination complaints after being forced to clean swastikas and later attacked during anti-Israel protests
- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has opened an investigation into the university under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
- Columbia’s Interim President Katrina Armstrong acknowledged the funding loss poses a “great risk” to the university
- The action is part of the Trump administration’s broader campaign against elite institutions failing to address antisemitism
Trump Administration Cuts $400 Million in Columbia Funding
The Trump administration has canceled $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University in a major blow to the prestigious institution following months of antisemitic incidents on campus, and is now launching an investigation into the university to determine exactly how antisemitism has been allowed to run rampant for so many years.
Columbia’s Interim President Katrina Armstrong acknowledged the severity of the situation, calling it a “time of great risk to our university” that affects “nearly every corner” of the institution’s operations. The funding cut represents a significant portion of the university’s research and educational programs, potentially crippling numerous academic initiatives.
Janitors’ Complaints Spark Federal Investigation
The new investigation has been officially launched by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission following discrimination complaints filed by two janitors, Lester Wilson and Mario Torres. Both employees allege they were forced to clean swastikas and other antisemitic graffiti that began appearing on campus following the Hamas attack on Israel in November 2023.
Former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, who is representing the janitors, stated: “We welcome the EEOC’s decision to open an investigation into Mario’s and Lester’s charges of discrimination.”
The complaints detail how the university allegedly failed to investigate the incidents properly when reported to campus security, creating a hostile work environment for the employees.
“Hours after President Minouche Shafik issued her statement that the university had become ‘unsafe for everyone,’ an antisemitic mob assaulted two janitors inside Columbia’s historic Hamilton Hall, calling them ‘Jew-lovers’,” the complaint reads.
The incident occurred during the takeover of Hamilton Hall by masked demonstrators in April 2024.
President Donald Trump’s administration has announced the cancellation of over $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University, citing the institution’s alleged failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment on campus.
Reasons for the… https://t.co/YzFZwATtav
— mahotrala (@mahotrala) March 16, 2025
The action against Columbia is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to hold elite educational institutions accountable for addressing antisemitism on their campuses. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon had previously warned Columbia about the potential loss of federal funding if it failed to address these issues effectively.
If Columbia doesn’t sort this out, it could be over for them.
