Georgetown, Berkeley and City University officials questioned over anti-Semitism charges
During the hearing, Republicans asked about specific examples of anti-Semitism on campus, while Democrats argued that Republicans were focusing on the wrong education issues.
Northwestern University has agreed to pay a $75 million settlement with the Trump administration to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds that were withheld during an investigation into allegations of civil rights violations and anti-Semitism on campus.
The settlement announced Nov. 28 would restore nearly $800 million in federal funds that were frozen in April as the administration cracked down on universities such as Northwestern University and Cornell University. The funding freeze comes after the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers last year scrutinized college campuses over their response to pro-Palestinian protests.
The agreement calls for Chicago-area schools to pay $75 million to the U.S. Treasury over three years, according to a news release from the Department of Justice and the schools. It also concludes an investigation into complaints about the school’s admissions, policies regarding transgender students and its handling of allegations of anti-Semitism on campus.
Northwestern University interim president Henry Bienen said federal funding should be fully restored within 30 days, adding that the agreement “brings an end to a very painful and destructive period in the university’s history.”
Bienen, who took over as interim president after Michael Schill resigned in September, comes at a politically fraught time in Northwestern’s history. He said payments to the government were not an admission of guilt.
“Today’s settlement represents another victory in the Trump administration’s fight to ensure that America’s educational institutions protect Jewish students and prioritize their merits,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
Bienen said Northwestern maintains control over who it hires, who it accepts as students and what its faculty teach.
“The North West runs through the North West, that’s right,” he said.
As part of the settlement, Northwestern will establish a commission to ensure compliance with terms, abide by federal anti-discrimination laws (which Bienen noted it has already done) and terminate an agreement reached with pro-Palestinian protesters last year. The university said recently enacted policies to support Jewish students will continue under the terms of the settlement.
The settlement also requires Northwestern to comply with its Title IX policies by providing “safe and fair opportunities for women, including women-only gender-based housing, women-only housing for those who request such accommodations, women-only sports, locker rooms, and shower facilities.” Northwestern University said it would not impose new restrictions on transgender members of the school community.
Earlier this month, Cornell University, which was also subject to a federal funding freeze, agreed to pay the government $30 million to restore $250 million in frozen grants and invest the same amount in agricultural research.
Contributor: Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY. Reuters
