onfocus

Federal officials told the university it must immediately place its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department under “academic receivership for a minimum of five years.” The demand was among several described as conditions for receiving federal funding, including $400 million already pulled over allegations of antisemitism.

The federal government telling a university which specific academic programs they have to give up control of is disturbing. This response from scholars at Columbia Law explains why this is an unconstitutional request: A Title VI Demand Letter That Itself Violates Title VI (and the Constitution).