WASHINGTON, USA – The White House is tightening the screws on prestigious American universities as it seeks financial penalties in civil rights cases—building on the precedent set by Columbia University’s massive $200 million settlement over alleged campus antisemitism.
Following the Columbia deal, which restored $400 million in federal funding in exchange for structural reforms and oversight, the Biden administration is reportedly eyeing similar action against other elite institutions, including Harvard, Brown, Duke, Northwestern and Cornell.
Harvard has already pushed back by filing a lawsuit, but sources say the government is still pressing for a deal with even steeper penalties. The Department of Education, under Secretary Linda McMahon, views the Columbia settlement as a “template” for reshaping accountability and equity on campus.
While supporters hail the move as overdue, critics argue it dangerously blurs the line between civil rights enforcement and federal overreach, with some legal experts labeling the strategy as “regulation by deal” or even “academic extortion.”
The developments mark a significant shift in how the U.S. government intends to hold universities accountable for on-campus discrimination and hate speech, particularly in the wake of the Israel-Gaza conflict and growing protest movements across campuses.
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