Take a moment to consider this triumphant assertion from the Trump administration, which just managed to win a major legal victory! A federal lawsuit from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) against the administration’s $400 million funding cut to Columbia University has been dismissed. The funding cuts were passed largely on the basis that Columbia turned a blind eye to antisemitism during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on its campus. The federal judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, of the Southern District of New York, dismissed the lawsuit. This ruling is an important symbol in the ongoing story of higher education and government overreach.
Judge Vyskocil agreed with defendants that the AAUP, a union representing faculty members, lacked standing to pursue the lawsuit. In her decision, she concluded the plaintiffs had not demonstrated that the Trump administration had broken any laws. This dismissal is a significant victory in the administration’s campaign to revise or roll back policies that undercut the missions of American universities.
Judge Vyskocil concluded in her opinion that the plaintiffs did not prove their standing to sue on this case. Moreover, she pointed to the fact that they hadn’t established any violation of the law. This decision now gives the Trump administration a green light for pursuing its agenda on federal funding and university governance.
The funding cuts to Columbia University are part of a broader trend, as the Trump administration has significantly reduced federal financial support to various universities. Beyond Columbia, fiscal challenges have recently plagued universities such as Harvard University. The Department of Justice likewise has threatened some universities with investigation into claims of antisemitism in their communities.
Todd Wolfson, president of the AAUP, expressed his dismay with the court’s decision. He was quick to add that this result is not the conclusion of their advocacy. Emerging as the leading advocate for environmental justice communities, Jackson said, “This is a disappointing ruling, but by no means the end of the fight.” This is the fourth lawsuit that the AAUP has filed against the Trump administration. These lawsuits challenge the anti-diversity, equity and inclusion initiative ban and the pro-Palestinian student deportation attempt, for example.
A federal judge in Massachusetts has broadened a temporary injunction against a Trump administration order that would evict Harvard’s foreign students. This case serves as a reminder that the struggle over higher education policy and funding is far from over.
Radhika Sainath, senior managing attorney at Palestine Legal, denounced the ruling in strong terms. She called it “a deeply troubling decision that overlooks what this really is – a government move to punish a university in response to student protests that helped spark a national movement against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.” Unfortunately, this statement is a tacit acknowledgment that the administration’s actions are having a chilling effect on academic freedom and dissent on university campuses.
Last week, Education Secretary Linda McMahon highlighted Columbia University as a model for addressing these problems. She was encouraged to hear the institution has “turned the corner” and reported learning that the administration is still negotiating a possible consent decree with them. This announcement marks an encouraging move forward for Columbia in continuing a historic legacy of discord and disharmony between academic institutions and federal supervision.