Trump administration examining several educational institutions
The Trump administration has launched a series of investigations into over 60 colleges and universities across the United States, marking a significant shift in priorities from previous administrations. These investigations, led by the Education Department and other agencies, have been focusing on policies and actions related to alleged antisemitism, racial discrimination, transgender athlete policies, and diversity programs.
One of the key areas of scrutiny has been antisemitism, with many institutions, such as Columbia University, facing investigations over alleged incidents of antisemitism. In the case of Columbia, the university agreed to overhaul its student disciplinary process, apply a federally backed definition of antisemitism in teaching, and investigate students critical of Israel to restore frozen federal funding. The university also agreed to pay a fine and establish a compensation fund related to antisemitism claims.
Racial discrimination, including claims of discrimination against white students, has also been under the microscope. This has extended to challenges of "racial preferences" in admissions, financial aid, and hiring practices. In February 2025, a memo required schools to cease using racial preferences, with noncompliant colleges facing potential freezes in federal funding.
The administration has also been examining policies protecting transgender athletes, with most K-12 investigations focusing on access to sports and locker rooms. The administration has rolled back protections for transgender student athletes, viewing some policies as violations of federal law.
About 45 institutions have been investigated over programs aimed at increasing diversity, particularly among Ph.D. candidates. The administration has also sought to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives through these investigations and by pressuring schools not to use racial preferences.
In enforcing these policies, the administration has used tools such as freezing federal funding (including billions in research grants) at several elite colleges like Harvard and Cornell for noncompliance with its investigations and demands. Some colleges have reached agreements with the administration to restore funding by making concessions aligned with the administration's agenda.
It's important to note that many institutions face more than one investigation, and the majority of these investigations have been opened in states considered to be liberal. Readers can provide information about missing investigations by contacting editor@our website.
This map and list of investigations will be updated as more information becomes available. Almost every state in the country has at least one entity under scrutiny, indicating a broad sweep of the administration's efforts to address perceived issues of discrimination and antisemitism in education.
References:
- New York Times
- Washington Post
- Associated Press
- The Atlantic
- The Chronicle of Higher Education
- The investigations by the Trump administration into colleges and universities, focusing on education policies and actions related to racial discrimination, antisemitism, transgender athlete policies, and diversity programs, have sparked heated debates in the realm of policy-and-legislation and politics.
- The administration's stringent policies, as seen in the investigations, have resulted in institutions making concessions, such as adopting federally-backed definitions of antisemitism, ceasing racial preferences, and reining in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in a bid to restore frozen federal funding.
- The unfolding general-news story of the administration's investigations into education inequality reveals a broad sweep across the country, with nearly every state having at least one entity under scrutiny for alleged discrimination and antisemitism, reflecting a significant shift in priorities in the realm of education.
