Day of Reckoning? Brown University Faces $510 Million Federal Funding Freeze

Day of Reckoning? Brown University Faces $510 Million Federal Funding Freeze

As first reported yesterday by The Daily Caller, the Trump administration dropped a bombshell that’s echoing through the ivy-covered halls of Brown University. According to White House officials, the administration plans to block $510 million in federal contracts and grants to the institution, while it reviews the universities response to anti-semitism and (DEI) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies. This is part of the administration’s commitment to root out – “relentless antisemitism” on college campuses across the United States.  

Chief White House Correspondent at CBS news, Nancy Cordes, confirmed the freeze yesterday via her X  account: “Confirmed: Trump admin to freeze $510m in grants to Brown U while it reviews Brown’s anti-semitism response and any DEI programs.  Although spokesperson for Brown University told  CNN the university  “had no information to substantiate this.”

More than half a billion dollars is on the line.

This move comes on the heels of Brown doctor, and University assistant professor,  Dr. Rasha Alawieh, being deported last month after federal agents found photos of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iran’s supreme leader on her cell phone. 

In February, the Department of Education warned 60 institutions – including Brown, that it would take action if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act – to protect Jewish students on campus. An NBC News report quotes Education Secretary Linda McMahon asserting, “U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers. That support is a privilege — and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal anti-discrimination laws.”

Within the past month, the administration has paused federal funding to ensure four other Ivy League schools comply with federal discrimination laws over concerns about antisemistism, DEI, or transgender athletic policies on campus. Similar funding pauses have occurred at Columbia ($400 million), the University of Pennsylvania ($175 million), and Princeton ($210 million). According to Forbes, “The threatened action against Brown leaves only three Ivy League Universities — Cornell, Dartmouth and Yale — that have yet to face the suspension of federal grants as part of the Trump administration’s growing crackdown on elite institutions.”

Is this a Wake-Up Call?

Will this be a wake-up call for the university that seems to have let antisemitism fester under the guise of free expression and progressive ideals? While pundits will call the administration’s move heavy-handed, it’s hard to argue that Brown hasn’t earned the scrutiny. Since last spring, incidents on campus paint a damning picture—the university making deals with pro-palestine students, to end their protest encampments, was a tipping point. The deals came under criticism for being too soft on students who caused mass chaos and fear on campus for weeks. 

Pattern of Inaction

Yesterdays Daily Caller article reminded us that, “Due to a previous federal civil rights investigation into the school, Brown is “currently subject to ongoing monitoring,” following an earlier agreement with the Department of Education.” White House officials cited in the Times article didn’t mince words: Brown’s failure to address antisemitism on campus, combined with its obsession with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, has created a toxic environment for Jewish students.

This Brown funding pause comes on the heels of another controversy that’s been brewing on campus: the Bloat@Brown project, spearheaded by sophomore Alex Shieh. Shieh, a computer science and economics major, made headlines last week shortly after his project launch. His goal? Use an AI algorithm to expose administrative bloat and determine whether these 3,800 roles—many tied to DEl initiatives — are violating civil rights law and draining resources. After emailing nearly 4,000 staff, Brown University hit back with a disciplinary probe, accusing him of causing “emotional harm” —while threatening to cut his data access and demanding he delete unspecified “confidential” information. Beyond campus, his Social Security number was leaked, his email spammed with filth, and his website hacked within an hour of launch – possibly from within Brown’s own network. Hostile staff replies telling him to shove cacti where the sun doesn’t shine, only add to the mess, painting a picture of a university trying to silence a student’s free inquiry with intimidation — cloaking it as, “policy enforcement.”

Shieh’s project takes a direct hit at antisemitism on campus. His algorithm includes a metric for whether employees have publicly voiced antisemitic ideas—a nod to the Trump administration’s concerns about civil rights and campus culture. Does this connection exposes a rot within Brown’s administration, where there is growing sentiment that bloat and unchecked ideologies have created an environment hostile to not only Jewish students and fiscal responsibility – but to any student who dares to ask questions?

What is next?

The Trump administration is playing hardball, but they’re not wrong to call out what’s been ignored for too long. Yesterday, they turned up the heat. Provost Doyle’s hinted at more defiance, saying Brown is still  “committed to our mission” — but how long can the university keep pretending everything’s fine? The Ivy old guards will cry foul, of course. But $510 million is big — and Brown is not Harvard (with its $50 billion endowment). One thing’s for sure: the days of sweeping antisemitism under the proverbial rugs are over. 

And frankly, it’s about damn time.

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