McMahon hopes Columbia deal becomes 'template' for other colleges

(NewsNation) — Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Thursday that she's pleased with the Trump administration's more than $220 million settlement with Columbia University. The agreement resolves a monthslong standoff over claims the school failed to protect Jewish students and staff during last year’s pro-Palestinian protests on campus.

McMahon called the settlement a “big victory and big accomplishment” for students and faculty.

“I’m pleased with these negotiations. Hopefully, we’ve restored the university to a place of learning, of open debate, of equal presentation of viewpoints," she told NewsNation's “Morning in America.” "It’s a big victory and big accomplishment for the students who are there and for faculty.”

McMahon said she hopes the agreement becomes a “template” for other colleges and universities nationwide.

"We’re very hopeful that this settlement is going to be a template for other universities to make sure that our college campuses can once again be a place for open ideas, debate and for learning, and not for violent protests because that cannot be tolerated," she said.

As part of the agreement, Columbia will pay $200 million over the next three years, and an additional $21 million to resolve alleged civil rights violations against Jewish faculty members after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, the White House said.

Acting university President Claire Shipman called the settlement “an important step forward” and said it paves the way for the reinstatement of the majority of the $400 million in federal grants that the administration pulled earlier this year.

The protests at Columbia sparked a nationwide wave of campus demonstrations. A federal antisemitism task force later found Jewish students were verbally harassed and ostracized in the classroom during that time.

The settlement, which includes no admission of wrongdoing, codifies a series of reforms while maintaining the university’s autonomy, Shipman said.

NewsNation's Tom Dempsey contributed to this report.