Overview

• U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil ruled that the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers lacked legal standing to challenge the withholding of $400 million in federal grants.
• Columbia University had complied with administration demands, including boosting security and reviewing its Middle Eastern studies department, to restore the funds.
• The faculty unions filed a notice of appeal after the June 16 dismissal in the Southern District of New York.
• The Department of Education has threatened to revoke Columbia’s accreditation, citing the university’s handling of pro-Palestinian protests and alleged failures to protect Jewish students.
• Harvard and other institutions have also faced cuts to billions in federal funding and separate legal battles over policies on academic freedom and campus demonstrations.