Columbia University announced Wednesday it has reached a deal with the Trump administration to pay more than $220 million to the federal government to restore federal research money that was canceled in the name of combating antisemitism on campus.
Under the agreement, the Ivy League school will pay a $200 million settlement over three years, the university said. It will also pay $21 million to resolve alleged civil rights violations against Jewish employees that occurred following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, the White House said.
Columbia has agreed to a series of demands laid out by the Republican administration, including overhauling the university’s student disciplinary process and applying a contentious, federally endorsed definition of antisemitism not only to teaching but to a disciplinary committee that has been investigating students critical of Israel.
Can’t really argue.
I mean people have a lot to lose. People have families and jobs and property. I understand being scared to risk that speaking out against fascism.
But we’ve already lost rights. Our Constitution is being repeatedly violated. And once a set of rules is violated, it’s real hard to get back to a place where those rules are respected and enforced again. History has shown us that what we’re experiencing is the beginning of authoritarian control. If we don’t stop it now, things are going to get a lot darker and a lot harder to get back to normal.
So yeah, despite understanding the implications of resisting, I have to agree, as an American, that we’re a bunch of pussy ass cowards right now and if we don’t change that soon, that’s what we’re going to become instead of just being what we’re acting like right now.
I understand that protests are happening, but that’s not enough to stop the march of fascism. They’ll just ignore it until we make it so they can’t.