Identity of Speakers
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American Association of University Professors
Unaffiliated
OtherA national organization that advocates for academic freedom, shared governance, and the professional rights of faculty in higher education. It represents professors and other academic professionals at colleges and universities across the United States.
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American Federation of Teachers
Unaffiliated
OtherA national labor union representing educators across various sectors, including K–12 teachers, paraprofessionals, and higher education faculty and staff. It is affiliated with the AFL-CIO and engages in collective bargaining, education policy advocacy, and workplace protections for its members.
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Lawsuit
Other
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
Litigation
Title IX or other federal statute
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Incident Status:
In litigation Federal District Court
In litigation Federal Court of Appeals
- Did not involve Speech Codes
Summary
In March 2025 the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging its abrupt cancellation of approximately $400 million in federal research funding to Columbia University. The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleged the cuts were politically motivated retaliation tied to the university’s handling of pro-Palestinian campus protests and alleged antisemitism. The unions argued that the move violated faculty members’ First Amendment rights, academic freedom, and procedural protections under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The terminated funding included hundreds of research grants and contracts from agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), affecting projects on Alzheimer’s, cancer, and fetal health. The unions claimed the administration was improperly using federal funding to pressure Columbia into adopting restrictive policies on campus speech and student discipline.
In June 2025, the NIH briefly lifted its freeze on new grants to Columbia following internal clearance to resume awards. However, the agency reinstated the pause just hours later, citing unresolved negotiations between the university and the federal government. Those talks reportedly involved proposed reforms to Columbia’s disciplinary procedures and campus protest policies. The episode left university researchers in renewed uncertainty, with more than 170 NIH grants already terminated and no clarity on whether paused or canceled funds would be restored.
On June 23, 2025, a federal judge dismissed the AAUP and AFT lawsuit, ruling that the unions lacked standing because the funding had been awarded to Columbia University, not directly to faculty or the organizations. The court did not reach the merits of the constitutional claims. The unions have appealed the ruling to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
