Northwestern agrees to $75M settlement with Trump administration : NPR

Northwestern University has agreed to pay the Trump administration $75 million to settle a discrimination investigation at the school and restore federal funding that was frozen during the investigation, the Justice Department said Friday.

“Today’s agreement marks another victory in the Trump administration’s fight to ensure that America’s institutions protect Jewish students and put merit first,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. statement.

“Institutions that accept federal funds are required to comply with civil rights law—we are grateful to Northwestern for reaching this historic deal.”

Northwestern is one of several schools caught in President Trump's campaign against what he has called “woke” university politics.

In particular, the Illinois private school was one of 60 colleges The Department of Education was accused of shirking its obligations to “protect Jewish students on campus, including uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities” amid a tense university protests against the war in Gaza.

In April, the White House announced it was withholding some $790 million into federal funds to Northwestern while the government investigated the claims. Interim university president Henry Bienen said in a message to university employees that “the payment is not an admission of guilt,” the school newspaper reported. Daily Northwestern.

Earlier this month Cornell reached an agreement demanding the university pay $60 million to unfreeze $250 million withheld by the Trump administration over alleged civil rights violations. The private Ivy League university said the settlement did not come at “the cost of compromising our values ​​or independence.”

Per agreementAccording to the Justice Department, Northwestern will pay $75 million over the course of 2028 and “will maintain clear policies and procedures regarding demonstrations, protests, displays and other expressive events, and provide mandatory anti-Semitism training to all students, faculty and staff.”

Education Minister Linda McMahon called the agreement a “huge win” for higher education.

The deal codifies policy changes that will “protect students and other campus members from harassment and discrimination” and recommits the school to merit-based hiring and admissions, she said. in the statement.

“The reforms reflect Northwestern University's bold leadership and provide a roadmap for institutional leaders across the country to help restore public trust in our colleges and universities,” she added.

Explanation published in university website said the school decided to negotiate the settlement rather than risk a lawsuit, calling the cost of a legal battle “too high and the risks too serious.”

Bees of the North West region said in video statement that the school will maintain its academic freedom and autonomy from the federal government.

“There were several red lines that I, the board of trustees and the university leadership refused to cross. I would not sign anything that gave the federal government a say in who we hire, what they teach, who we admit, or what they study,” Bienen said.

“Simply put, Northwestern runs Northwestern.”