Columbia University trustee calls on board to comply with Trump administration demands

CBS News

10-07-2025

A member of the Columbia University Board of Trustees is calling on the school to comply with the Trump administration's demands regarding alleged antisemitism on campus and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
In a letter delivered Monday and obtained by CBS News, Dr. Shoshana Shendelman also demanded a formal apology from acting school President Claire Shipman and board co-chairs David Greenwald and Jeh Johnson.
"The conduct which has been exhibited by Columbia leadership in recent months — particularly the failure to decisively address antisemitism on campus — demonstrates a disturbing lack of moral clarity and poses a significant threat to the safety and well-being of Jewish students, faculty, and the broader community of Columbia University," Shendelman wrote.
"It is evident that the ongoing failures have resulted in substantial legal and financial ramifications, and our university's reputation has been tarnished for the foreseeable future. Unequivocally, this is the direct consequence of Columbia's failure to adhere with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act."
That section of the law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin by organizations that get federal funds.
"Columbia must fully accept the Trump administration's demands regarding antisemitism and Title VI compliance," the letter continues. "It is the right thing to do for our students, and it is undeniable that the current situation at Columbia is untenable. Thus, our Board must work promptly and unconditionally with the United States Federal government."
Dr. Shoshana Shendelman, a member of the Columbia University Board of Trustees, in an undated photo.
Shoshana Shendelman
The letter comes on the heels of the release of text messages Shipman wrote in 2023 and 2024 suggesting that Shendelman, who is Jewish with Iranian ancestry, be removed from the board.
In the texts, Shipman also pushed for the addition of an Arab trustee to the board, saying, "We need to get somebody from the middle east [sic] or who is Arab on our board. Quickly I think. Somehow."
The texts were released last week by New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Chair of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, which has been investigating antisemitism on college campuses.
Shipman has sent an apology note to several board members, alumni and friends but the note doesn't directly mention Shendelman.
Shendelman's letter seeks that she be "renewed for a second term as a Trustee, should I elect to continue my service" and asks for a written response from the board within 48 hours. As of Wednesday night, the board hadn't replied.
CBS News has reached out to Columbia and Shipman for comment.
The Education Department threatened Columbia's accreditation last month, saying the school failed to address antisemitism on campus and harassment of Jewish students after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas. The department's civil rights office notified the Middle States Commission on Higher Education — which accredits U.S. colleges and universities — that Columbia was out of compliance with antidiscrimination laws.
A Columbia spokesperson responded by telling CBS News the school "is aware of the Department of Education's concerns and has "addressed those concerns directly with Middle States," referring to its accreditor. The spokesperson also said Columbia is "deeply committed to combating antisemitism on our campus" and is "continuing to work with the federal government to address it."
In March, the Education Department canceled $400 million in grants to and contracts with Columbia, citing "the school's continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students." The school said it would work with the Trump administration to get that funding restored.
The administration also announced a comprehensive review of Columbia's federal contracts.
Columbia has more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments.
The school has been a hotbed of controversy over hostilities in Gaza.
Last month, Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Palestinian activist who helped lead protests on campus in the spring of 2024, was released from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Louisiana after a federal judge ordered the move while his immigration proceedings play out.
Khalil was in custody more than three months. The Trump administration is attempting to deport him due to "foreign policy" concerns.