Northwestern Agrees to $75M Settlement Over Antisemitism Probe

Updated Nov. 28, 2025 / CBS Chicago — Northwestern University will pay $75 million to the federal government over three years to resolve an investigation by the Trump administration into alleged antisemitic discrimination and to secure the return of roughly $790 million in frozen federal funds. The agreement, announced Friday, follows the April freeze while regulators probed whether the university had allowed antisemitic practices on campus. Attorney General Pamela Bondi hailed the settlement as a win for enforcement of civil rights protections for Jewish students. Northwestern said it expects the previously frozen funding to be fully restored within 30 days under the terms of the deal. In addition to the payment, Northwestern committed to review international admissions practices, develop training for international students about campus norms, and reaffirm protections for Jewish members of the campus community. University leaders emphasized that the agreement preserves institutional control over hiring, admissions and curriculum. Interim President Henry Bienen said negotiators had insisted on “hard red lines” and would not cede authority over who the school hires, admits or what faculty teach, adding, “Northwestern runs Northwestern. Period.” In August a group of faculty urged administrators not to reach a deal, arguing concessions would amount to an improper ransom and could undermine higher education. The federal funding freeze prompted a university hiring freeze, program and benefit cuts, layoffs and other measures to address a budget shortfall; former president Michael Schill resigned in September amid the controversy. Northwestern’s settlement follows several similar agreements by other major universities in recent months: Columbia agreed to pay $200 million over three years and an additional $21 million to resolve U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims; Cornell agreed to pay $30 million to end a probe and committed $30 million to U.S. agricultural research; Brown negotiated restoration of grant funding in exchange for commitments on women’s sports, antisemitism and admissions practices plus a $50 million workforce development donation; and the University of Pennsylvania reached an agreement with the administration over its policy on transgender athletes in women’s sports.