The Trump administration and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have agreed to a settlement that will end 18 ongoing federal investigations, along with a separate Justice Department compliance review into allegations involving antisemitism and racial discrimination on campus.
The voluntary agreement does not include a financial penalty, and UNC does not acknowledge wrongdoing or legal liability. The settlement remains in effect through the end of 2028 and permits the university to continue receiving federal funding.
As part of the deal, UNC will create an internal “Merit & Civil Rights Administrator” role and add a “Title VI Coordinator” to its compliance office. The positions will handle complaints involving antisemitism and discrimination based on race.
UNC said Elizabeth Hall, the university’s associate vice chancellor for compliance, will take on both responsibilities while continuing in her current position. Hall will serve as the university’s liaison with the Justice Department and supervise UNC’s required reports.
The settlement between the Trump administration and UNC will conclude 18 Education Department investigations, as well as a separate Justice Department compliance review. (Eros Hoagland/Getty Images)
“This announcement reinforces our commitment to the fair and equal treatment of everyone at Carolina,” UNC Chancellor Lee H. Roberts said. “For at least a decade, through different presidential administrations, U.S. universities have faced heightened public scrutiny across a range of issues. We’re proud to resolve those issues at Carolina in a way that protects our mission and affirms the civil rights of everyone in our community.”
The agreement further directs UNC to require antisemitism training for all students, faculty members and staff.
The university must also prohibit masks worn to hide a person’s identity, although the policy includes certain exceptions. The agreement additionally states that student organizations “shall be subject to discipline for antisemitic discriminatory conduct.”
President Donald Trump and members of his administration have repeatedly characterized pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations as antisemitic. Demonstrators, including some Jewish organizations, argue that criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is not inherently antisemitic and that advocating for Palestinian rights does not amount to endorsing extremism.
The settlement also requires UNC to implement what the Justice Department describes as a “color-blind admissions system.” The university may not use race or adjust its admissions procedures to influence the racial makeup of the student body. However, it may consider how an applicant personally overcame hardship, as well as circumstances such as family poverty, provided those factors are applied consistently.
The settlement mandates antisemitism training for UNC students, faculty members and staff. (Jonathan Drake/Reuters)
UNC is also required to maintain race-neutral rules for student benefits, scholarships, financial aid and campus programs, according to the agreement.
The administration has maintained that policies providing advantages to some racial groups over others breach federal anti-discrimination requirements.
Under the agreement, UNC must submit quarterly reports to the Justice Department and the Education Department detailing complaints involving antisemitism and racial discrimination.
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights will close its 18 active investigations into UNC. Separately, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will end an 18-month compliance review that began in April 2025.
“Title VI requires that all students — regardless of their ancestry or race — receive equal treatment under the law at federally funded colleges and universities,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said.
Under the settlement, UNC will restrict face coverings used to conceal a person’s identity. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“Higher ed policies and practices that tolerate antisemitism or favor certain racial groups over others, frustrate our color-blind justice system. The Civil Rights Division commends UNC for its cooperation in meeting its obligations under federal law without the need for litigation; we hope other institutions will take note and do the same,” she said.
The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions, striking down race-conscious admissions programs at UNC and Harvard.
Across the country, the administration has launched investigations into universities and threatened to withhold federal funding over issues including pro-Palestinian protests, diversity programs and transgender-related policies.
The federal government has also settled with some other schools, including Columbia University, which last year agreed to pay more than $200 million to resolve federal probes, and Brown University, which agreed to provide $50 million over 10 years to Rhode Island workforce-development organizations as part of its settlement.
Harvard, which has been a primary target of the administration’s threats, has not yet made a deal.
