Trump admin freezes $210M to Princeton over anti-Semitism after Title VI complaint from Campus Reform’s Zachary Marschall
Marschall’s complaint, filed in January 2024, claimed that the school took no serious steps to combat anti-Semitism after the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre of Jewish civilians.
A Trump administration official said that ‘Princeton has perpetuated racist and anti-semitic policies.’
President Donald Trump’s administration has suspended $210 million in funds to Princeton University in New Jersey after Campus Reform Editor-in-Chief Dr. Zachary Marschall filed a civil rights complaint against the school over anti-Semitism.
Marschall’s complaint, filed in January 2024, claimed that the school took no serious steps to combat anti-Semitism after the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre of Jewish civilians. He stated, for example, that students protested against the Jewish state only weeks after the massacre, chanting messages like “Brick by brick, wall by wall, apartheid has got to fall,” and calling for an “Intifada.”
“The violent words of these protesters completely disregard the atrocities Hamas has already committed and promises to commit in the future against the people of Israel, including raping, murdering, and kidnapping civilians,” Marschall wrote at the time.
[RELATED: Princeton engineering dean states Oct. 7 massacre helped trigger ‘backlash’ to DEI]
Marschall’s complaint led the Department of Education—then under former President Joe Biden—to start investigating the Ivy League university in April 2024. The investigation was one of 16 that were started as a result of Marschall’s Title VI complaints, with other colleges such as Brown University and Tufts University also finding themselves under federal scrutiny.
A reporter for The Daily Caller News Foundation announced the $210 million funding freeze on Monday, stating that it resulted from the investigation that started under Biden’s Department of Education, which is now continuing under President Trump.
The investigation opened dates back to Biden. Biden’s Department of Education opened an investigation in 2024 following a Civil Rights complaint from Zachary Marschall, the editor-in-chief of the conservative website Campus Reform.
Marschall alleges in his complaint that the…— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) April 1, 2025
A Trump administration official told the Daily Caller: “Princeton has perpetuated racist and anti-semitic policies.”
On Tuesday, Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber sent a message to the community announcing that the school “received notifications from government agencies including the Department of Energy, NASA, and the Defense Department suspending several dozen Princeton research grants.”
“Princeton University will comply with the law. We are committed to fighting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and we will cooperate with the government in combating antisemitism. Princeton will also vigorously defend academic freedom and the due process rights of this University,” he continued.
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The $210 million makes up almost 50 percent of federal funds that the Ivy League school receives, The Daily Princetonian reported.
On March 19, Princeton leaders called for “holistic spending restraint” due to negative attention from the White House—among other reasons—and announced that Princeton will cut down on hiring and raises, as well as potentially eliminate funding for certain projects, the Princetonian wrote.
Campus Reform has reached out to Princeton University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
