In a formal letter sent Wednesday, the US Department of Education informed the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that Columbia is in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws. The notification, which stems from a joint federal investigation, could jeopardize the university’s accreditation if corrective actions are not taken.

“Columbia University acted with deliberate indifference,” the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) found, citing the university’s failure to adequately respond to harassment of Jewish students in the wake of Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.