The education department accused the Ivy League of Violations of the Civil Rights Act and called on its certified people to take action.

The U.S. Department of Education has notified the president of Columbia University that the Ivy League schools allegedly violated federal anti-discrimination laws.

In a statement Wednesday, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) claimed that Columbia University was “consciously indifferent to harassing Jewish students.”

As a result, they say Colombia violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits recipients of federal funds from discriminating based on race, color or nationality.

"The OCR and HHS OCR found that Colombia failed to meaningfully protect Jewish students from serious and widespread harassment on Colombian campuses, thus denying that these students have equal access to educational opportunities enjoyed under the law," the statement said.

It quotes Education Minister Linda McMahon, who accused Columbia University of ignoring the ongoing harassment of Jewish students on its campus since the Israeli war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023.

"It's not only immoral, but illegal," McMahon said.

She added that the Governor General China's Higher Education Commission has an obligation to ensure that member institutions comply with their standards”.

The committee is one of seven regional institutions that review colleges of higher education, universities and other institutions to ensure they meet the criteria required to award degrees.

McMahon described the accreditation agency as “the gatekeeper of federal student aid,” explaining that they decide which schools are eligible for student loans.

“We look forward to the Commission giving the department a full understanding of the actions taken to ensure Colombia complies with certification standards, including compliance with federal civil rights laws,” McMahon said.

The statement stipulates that the Ministry of Education and HHS determined the civil rights compliance of Columbia University on May 22.

The Ivy League schools have been the center of the pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli student protest movement, with some student camps appearing on the lawn in April 2024.

The university has been in the news, arresting high-profile student activists like Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi in April.

Mahdawi has since been released, although he continues to face deportation procedures like Khalil.

President Donald Trump's administration accuses demonstrators of creating unsafe conditions for Jewish students on campus, something protesters denied.

It reiterated that the alleged “black investigation results” in a statement Wednesday summed up the alleged “black investigation” in Colombia’s alleged conflict with civil rights law.

"These findings carefully document the hostile environment of Columbia Jewish students that must endure for more than 19 months, undermining their education, safety and well-being," said Anthony Acheval, acting director of the HHS Office of Civil Rights.

“We encourage Columbia University to work with us to reach an agreement that reflects meaningful change that will truly protect Jewish students.”

The university did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters News Agency for comment.

The Trump administration and Columbia University negotiated more than $400 million in federal funding for New York-based Ivy League schools. Colombia agreed to a series of demands from the government to keep the money flowing, but the U.S. government has not confirmed whether it will resume its suspended contracts and grants.

In March, McMahon said Columbia University was “on the right path” to restore its federal funding.