from the never-give-in-to-bullies dept
Appeasing bullies never works. Not only does it reveal your willingness to abandon principles, but bullies will never be satisfied — they’ll always demand more.
Columbia University is learning this lesson the hard way. The school quickly caved to Trump’s demands to crack down on pro-Palestinian protests and discipline faculty. Meanwhile, Harvard stood up and fought back, winning praise, support, and initial legal victories.
So how is capitulation working out for Columbia? Not well. Not well at all.
The Department of Education announced on Wednesday afternoon that it has notified Columbia University’s accreditor of an alleged violation of federal anti-discrimination laws by the elite private university in New York that is part of the Ivy League.
The alleged violation means that Columbia, in the Trump administration’s assessment, has “failed to meet the standards” set by the relevant regional, government-recognized but independent body responsible for the accreditation of degree-granting institutions, as a kind of educational quality controller.
Despite Columbia’s compliance — the university has been aggressively cracking down on protests and abandoning its free speech commitments — Trump is still targeting the school for destruction. The threatened loss of accreditation would be catastrophic, cutting off federal financial aid and effectively crippling the institution.
The mechanism here is worth understanding: while the federal government doesn’t directly control accreditation, it wields enormous influence over the independent bodies that do. By alleging violations of federal anti-discrimination laws, the Education Department is essentially telling Columbia’s accreditor to strip the university’s credentials or risk losing federal recognition themselves.
Columbia’s situation illustrates the fundamental strategic error of institutional capitulation. By caving immediately, the university signaled weakness without gaining protection. Harvard’s approach — principled resistance backed by legal action — has proven more effective at both preserving institutional integrity and rallying support.
This pattern extends beyond universities. The same dynamic played out with law firms that caved to Trump, only to find themselves abandoned by clients and still targeted for further attacks.
The lesson for institutions facing authoritarian pressure campaigns is clear: capitulation doesn’t buy you safety — it just makes you a more appealing target.
Filed Under: accreditation, bullying, department of education, donald trump
Companies: columbia university
