Education Secretary Linda McMahon told Newsmax on Thursday she hopes the deal the Trump administration cut with Columbia University over campus antisemitism becomes a template for other schools.

“We’ve had three great triumphs, I think,” McMahon said on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America.” “If you look at Columbia, that was, I think, the biggest deal that we announced, they will pay a $200 million fine and then a $20 million fine that will go into a fund to pay for … abuses in hiring. That was an incredibly big deal at Columbia, and it also dealt with having protests on campuses. You can protest, as long as you have peaceful protests, but you can’t wear masks. If you have to wear a mask for religious purposes, then you have to have your ID that you’re willing to show. There were just many parts of that Columbia deal that I hope will become the template for others.”

Columbia reached a landmark settlement with the Trump administration last week, agreeing to pay $221 million, reverse racially discriminatory practices, and address Jewish students’ civil rights violations.

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.