WASHINGTON, D.C. — Cornell University has reached a $60 million settlement with the Trump administration to resolve civil rights investigations and restore more than $250 million in frozen federal research funding. The agreement, announced Friday by Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff, requires the university to accept the administration’s interpretation of federal civil rights laws on issues including antisemitism, racial discrimination, and transgender policies.
Under the six-page agreement, Cornell will pay $30 million directly to the U.S. government and another $30 million toward research benefiting U.S. farmers. The deal mandates that the university use a Justice Department memo — which orders colleges to abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives — as a training resource for faculty and staff.
Cornell must also provide admissions data to ensure race is no longer used as a factor in admissions, following the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative action ruling. Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the agreement “a transformative commitment” to merit-based education.
Similar settlements have been signed by Columbia, Brown, and the University of Virginia, each with differing financial and compliance requirements. Cornell’s agreement remains in effect through 2028.
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