On Monday, a federal judge rejected a case filed by faculty organizations challenging the government's reductions to Columbia University's federal funding.

This marked the Trump administration's greatest major legal victory in its far-reaching attempt to transform American higher education, as The Daily Caller reported.

During pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus, Columbia University was accused of tolerating antisemitism, which led to the Trump administration cutting $400 million in federal funding to the university. This led to the lawsuit.

Just days before the AAUP and AFT sued the Trump administration over the budget cuts, Columbia mostly agreed to the government's terms for restoring funding, which was widely seen as a surrender of academic freedom on the part of the university.

Judge's Ruling

Mary Kay Vyskocil, the judge from the southern district of New York, found that the faculty unions lacked the necessary "standing" to initiate the lawsuit and failed to adequately explain the administration's legal infractions.

“It is not the role of a district court judge to direct the policies of the Executive Branch first and ask questions later,” the judge, a Trump appointee, wrote in her 30-page ruling.

“Plaintiffs have not established their standing to litigate this case, let alone any violation of any law.”

She appeared to agree with the government's decision to cut off financing and its claim that Columbia had allowed antisemitism to thrive on campus. She went on to say that Columbia was "conspicuously absent" from the case as well.

More Case Details

The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The education secretary, Linda McMahon, recently stated that Columbia had "made great progress" and that the administration was considering a consent decree with the university, but that financing has still not been reinstated.

In addition to notifying dozens of other institutions that it is investigating them for suspected antisemitism on campus, the administration has withdrawn billions in financing to a number of other universities.

The only university to fight the administration in two different cases—one over funding cuts and another against the administration's ban on Harvard’s ability to enroll overseas students—so far is Harvard, which has lost nearly $3 billion in federal support.

A Massachusetts federal judge renewed a temporary injunction on Monday, blocking the executive branch's decision affecting Harvard's international students.

More Suits

Along with the attempted deportation of pro-Palestinian students, funding cuts at Harvard, and the Trump administration's restriction on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and the AAUP has also launched three other lawsuits against the Trump government, saying they are determined to keep fighting.

“This is a disappointing ruling, but by no means the end of the fight,” Todd Wolfson, the AAUP president said.

“The Trump administration’s threats and coercion at Columbia University are part of an authoritarian agenda that extends far beyond Columbia."