Columbia University didn't "reach an understanding." It folded. After the White House froze roughly $400 million in research grants over antisemitism claims, the Ivy League giant agreed to cough up $200 million over three years, plus a separate $21 million EEOC payout, to stop the pain.

The deal reads like a probation order. A government-appointed monitor will file reports twice a year. Columbia must hand over admissions and hiring data to prove it's actually merit-based. Protest rules tighten. Mask bans stay.

Notably, Columbia tries to have it both ways in its statement. It maintains no wrongdoing, but... admits wrongdoing. In the University statement, they say, "As part of the settlement, the University has not admitted wrongdoing and does not agree with the government's conclusion that it violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. We are not, however, denying the very serious and painful challenges our institution has faced with antisemitism."

The hammer fell on specific students for their acts of targeting Jews on campus. "A student activist group said nearly 80 students were told they have been suspended for one to three years or expelled. The sanctions issued by a university judicial board also include probation and degree revocations, Columbia said in a statement."

Additionally, Columbia has cut staff. "Columbia in May said it would lay off nearly 180 staffers and scale back research in response to the loss of funding. Those receiving nonrenewal or termination notices represent about 20% of the employees funded in some manner by the terminated federal grants, the university said."

Columbia let Jewish students get harassed, flouted Title VI, and hid race preferences in "holistic" admissions and DEI schemes after the Supreme Court nuked affirmative action. The university denies legal liability, but pays nine figures and revises its policy. Draw your own conclusions from that.

The findings on what happened here seem clear. For all the bemoaning in the press and academia about the Trump administration pushing its weight around, it is correct in the treatment of Jewish students, and federal funds cannot go to activities like that.

This principle, that federal funding comes with strings attached, was settled a long time ago in the case Bob Jones vs. U.S. There, the United States withheld funds from the university due to its segregation rules. The Court upheld that decision.

The videos of Jewish students being harassed all over campus, and nothing being done to protect them, are rampant. It's not hard to find those videos. Columbia's refusal to protect minorities put it on the wrong end of the stick of government power.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon calls the pact a "model" for Harvard and friends. Translation: line up or face the hard pressure of the government. It's not hard to see why: Harvard has many of the same issues as Columbia University, but is fighting them every step of the way.

The White House is openly telling Harvard and other similar universities to settle their claims and act right. Defending Jewish students and holding these universities accountable for obeying the law is a good thing.

Democrats don't believe this and are calling these settlements a sign of authoritarianism. Right now, the average Democrat views anything more than houseplants as creeping authoritarianism. This is not that.

Demanding that universities adhere to the law is the foundation of the rule of law. Columbia has a duty to prevent Jewish students from being discriminated against. Columbia has a duty not to engage in an openly racist admissions process.

Additionally, if Columbia is doing these things, the federal government is under no obligation to fund those kinds of activities. The actual fascists and tyrants are those demanding the right to endlessly target and harass Jews. Those weren't protests of Israel on Columbia's campus. Those riots targeted American Jews.

Antisemitism is the oldest hatred. It doesn't take expertise or artificial intelligence to notice the rise in antisemitic attacks in this country. Stopping this on college campuses is in the vital interest of state and federal authorities.

It should also be a top priority of the Columbia administration and other Ivy League schools. We've seen for too long that it wasn't a priority at all. If anything, the targeting of Jewish students seemed encouraged based on photos and videos that have been released.

Real change is hard, and the Trump administration is taking those steps. These are hard decisions, but higher education has refused to hold itself or anyone else accountable for the racist and unacceptable behaviors. The federal government was justified in withholding aid and demanding changes.

Never again means never again.