Agreement Reached: President Donald J. Trump Combats Lawsuit with Brown University, Secures Significant Compensation
In a significant development for higher education, Brown University has reached a settlement with the Trump Administration in July 2025. The agreement aims to resolve investigations into alleged discriminatory practices and restore federal research funding for the institution.
The settlement includes several key provisions. Brown University will restore over $500 million in federal research funding, previously paused, allowing the university to compete for new grants and contracts. Additionally, the university has committed to providing $50 million over a decade to Rhode Island workforce development organisations, aligning with Brown’s service mission.
The settlement also requires Brown to commit to non-discriminatory admissions and programming policies, and to provide admissions data to the federal government to ensure compliance with anti-discrimination laws. To address allegations of anti-Semitism, Brown is mandated to engage an external firm to conduct campus climate and social media studies, particularly focusing on the experience of students with Jewish ancestry on campus.
Crucially, the settlement preserves Brown’s academic independence and freedom, with explicit terms that the government cannot dictate Brown’s curriculum or academic speech. This ensures that the university can continue to uphold its core values and mission.
The settlement follows similar agreements with other Ivy League universities and was instrumental in resolving a funding freeze that had severely impacted Brown’s research and financial health. President Christina Paxson emphasised the balance achieved between complying with federal nondiscrimination laws and safeguarding Brown’s academic mission.
The settlement comes after public outcry over incidents and civil rights investigations into Brown's alleged discrimination on the basis of race and national origin. By securing this settlement, the Trump Administration is ensuring that Brown upholds merit-based standards, complies with federal law, and fosters an environment of academic excellence and safety for all students.
This settlement marks a significant win for accountability in academia and advances reforms in higher education, ensuring universities prioritise fairness, merit, and American values. The Administration's actions are aimed at safeguarding national security by suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at certain universities, challenging elite institutions like Harvard, Columbia, and Brown for discriminating against students and staff, and successfully negotiating resolutions with universities to keep men out of women's sports and restore the trophies and records of women.
[1] Brown University Press Release, 2025 [2] The New York Times, 2025 [3] The Washington Post, 2025 [4] The Wall Street Journal, 2025
- The settlement between Brown University and the Trump Administration will allow Brown University to compete for new grants and contracts in sports, as well as education and self-development, due to the restoration of over $500 million in federal research funding.
- As part of the settlement, Brown University will invest $50 million over a decade towards online education and workforce development organizations, demonstrating a commitment to education and policy and legislation.
- In response to allegations of anti-Semitism at Brown University, the settlement requires the university to engage an external firm to conduct studies focusing on learning and the environment within the campus, particularly the experience of students with Jewish ancestry.
- The agreement enforces Brown University to comply with federal law by adopting non-discriminatory admissions and programming policies, ensuring education-and-self-development opportunities for all students, regardless of race or national origin.
- The settlement significantly impacts the general news landscape as it marks a milestone in accountability for academia, influenced by politics and policy-and-legislation, and sets a precedent for reforms in higher education, fostering an environment conducive to academic excellence and safety for all students.
