Some of my Columbia Law School colleagues and I offer our thoughts on legal issues with the Administration's March 13, 2025 letter to our University's president, and its threat to academic freedom. balkin.blogspot.com/2025/03/a-ti... - ThreadSky

jamalgreene.bsky.social • 62 days ago

Some of my Columbia Law School colleagues and I offer our thoughts on legal issues with the Administration's March 13, 2025 letter to our University's president, and its threat to academic freedom. https://balkin.blogspot.com/2025/03/a-title-vi-demand-letter-that-itself.html

Comments

profmarylewis.bsky.social•62 days ago

This is excellent and resonates with what I remember from working at OCR over 30 years ago. I hope the authors will reach out to Columbia interim president and convince them to defend the school’s rights.

caitesq.bsky.social•62 days ago

Thanks for this, Professor Greene.

clearcreek.bsky.social•62 days ago

Great work.

mgolden7.bsky.social•62 days ago

📌

ericcolumbus.bsky.social•62 days ago

Any idea how the “particular program” requirement would apply if the violation consisted of generally failing to prevent campus harassment on grounds covered by Title VI? (Not saying that happened, just trying to see how this plays out.) What would the “particular program” be?

ericcolumbus.bsky.social•59 days ago

@sbagen.bsky.social Might you have thoughts on my question above?

sbagen.bsky.social•59 days ago

Based on the statutory language and the leg hist of the CRRA, I think govt would have to find acts of discrimination in the part of the program from which it sought to terminate funds, not just an instl policy that covers that part and *would* be insufficient *if* discrim occurred there.

sbagen.bsky.social•59 days ago

But of course there basically isn't experience terminating funds in the post-deseg era, or for discriminatory harassment specifically. So this is just going on the statute and legislative history.

raortman.bsky.social•62 days ago

Excellent.

noisybrooklyn1.bsky.social•62 days ago

📌

dawnyriver.bsky.social•60 days ago

What can we do to help?

tbakerbroadmoor.bsky.social•62 days ago

Thank you Jamal

multredab.bsky.social•61 days ago

Stand and fight

kdorg.bsky.social•61 days ago

@maddow.msnbc.com @lawrenceodonnell.msnbc.com @maya4rights.bsky.social @sifill.bsky.social

raemaenyc.bsky.social•62 days ago

I haven't been proud of many of Columbia's actions over the last year, but I am exceedingly proud to have been taught by a number of the signatories to this letter. Thank you for taking a stand for our democracy.

lu.is•62 days ago

Only one of them (probably because I’m rapidly becoming an old) but it’s a good letter. Will refrain from ripping up my diploma and sending the shreds back to Manhattan for at least one more day.

kylecbarry.bsky.social•62 days ago

Thank you, Jamal

lschiff.bsky.social•62 days ago

So appreciate this analysis!! Please also consider signing the Declaration to #DefendResearch Against U.S. Gov Censorship! #NoTimeForSilence #resist https://tinyurl.com/3bwuc38f

bradkmn.bsky.social•62 days ago

Bravo! What is Columbia’s General Counsel doing about this? Given the dire threat this attack on academic freedom poses to all U.S. colleges and universities, has any joint response been contemplated or organized? Finally, are prominent law firms and litigators willing to offer pro bono assistance?

planetabsurdia.bsky.social•62 days ago

Columbia has a massive endowment with plenty of discretionary funds that should be used/leveraged for this emergency. Levitsky is right. (Crimson article.) Folks are suffering a lack of imagination for how bad this is going to get for universities.

j-lastcoolletter.bsky.social•61 days ago

Perhaps, but consider:
Endowment: $15B, much of it illiquid
Annual Budget: $6.6B, with many non-optional costs increasing by inflation
Withheld grants currently: $0.4B

The endowment argument is one P2025 leans on, because they want to erode the universities as "liberal power centers".

planetabsurdia.bsky.social•61 days ago

Thank you. I am not suggesting that the grants be replaced by endowment funds, but certainly some % could. I am suggesting that the funds be used for litigation or there may not be a university left. As you point out, 2025 has its’ eyes on the endowments.

j-lastcoolletter.bsky.social•61 days ago

That makes sense. They for sure need to do something fast or they enter the death spiral of declining enrollment, tuition, donor and status.

Like with many institutions these days, I fear CU's leadership is stuck in the past. This is an unprecedented rapid cycle attack.

ondinemd.bsky.social•62 days ago

Thank you for this. It is unfathomable that this be tolerated.

ebun1922.bsky.social•62 days ago

I hope Columbia pushes back. I wish every single school would push back. F47's actions are unlawful, unethical and their very basis is porous at best.

bestmimi.bsky.social•62 days ago

Seems like a test case. If Trump can change curriculum here, then he’ll attack all schools.

cecelia2.bsky.social•62 days ago

excellent arguments

electromotive645.bsky.social•62 days ago

I expect that she will do nothing except continue to cave.

b3mudablu3.bsky.social•61 days ago

Hopefully there is a PR colleague who can get one/many on MSM media shows about this. It needs to be highlighted and explained to the masses what is REALLY behind all this.

oregonboatguy.bsky.social•61 days ago

Good letter. Push push push. Resist the idiocracy. Fight the demonic duo.

debivort.bsky.social•61 days ago

It's a strong, clear letter. Can you share thoughts as to why this message is coming from you and your colleagues, rather than University leadership?

mktsutherland.bsky.social•62 days ago

📌

pranya3922.bsky.social•62 days ago

I’m not an attorney but I’ve watched every episode of Perry Mason so I feel I am qualified to offer a legal opinion. Trump is bat shit crazy, a complete psychopath a danger to democracy and he is a dictator.

perdferguson.bsky.social•62 days ago

But did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express recently?

whattheactualfeck.bsky.social•62 days ago

Very informative article. My appreciation to the contributors taking the time to work on it.

swillstroganoff.bsky.social•62 days ago

Your too good for Columbia!

hoobajoob.bsky.social•62 days ago

📌

vodalus.bsky.social•61 days ago

I know that you’re a brilliant scholar. Why would you spend your career working for institutions like Meta and Columbia when you could literally be doing anything else?

fallsvillager.bsky.social•61 days ago

Thank you for explaining the facts.

douwekorff.bsky.social•61 days ago

“As scholars of constitutional law, administrative law, and antidiscrimination law who teach at Columbia, we feel compelled to point out some of the most glaring legal problems with this letter.” Glaring they are indeed!

safetypup.bsky.social•62 days ago

I wish you knew a lawyer who would be willing to take on a class action lawsuit against Elon for illegally seizing our personal data. We could take a good chunk out of his worth.

notthatproud.bsky.social•62 days ago

Why hasn’t the school sued yet?

gelbach.bsky.social•62 days ago

It’s a very good statement. It ought to be placed on the Columbia President’s letterhead and delivered to the Trump administration, along with process for a civil action seeking an injunction.

russellmark.bsky.social•62 days ago

If Columbia is like Harvard, and investing in unethical investments with there extra billions in endowments, I hope they are punished somehow.

northstarnomad.bsky.social•62 days ago

*their

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