Trump administration strikes $50 million settlement with Brown University

DDM News

(DDM) – The Trump administration has finalized a $50 million agreement with Brown University aimed at restoring suspended federal research funding.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that this development follows a similar $221 million settlement reached with Columbia University last week, as part of a broader effort to overhaul university policies tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Under the new deal, Brown University has agreed to implement specific measures demanded by federal officials in exchange for the reinstatement of all previously frozen grants from the Department of Health and Human Services.

These measures include restrictions on university admissions and programming policies that allegedly violated federal nondiscrimination guidelines, according to a White House official.

The deal will also close ongoing federal investigations into Brown University and restore its eligibility for future government funding.

Unlike Columbia, which was compelled to pay $200 million to the U.S. Treasury and an additional $21 million to settle Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims, Brown avoided any direct payments or penalties to the federal government.

Instead, the Ivy League institution will contribute $50 million in research grants over the next decade to workforce development initiatives across Rhode Island.

Brown University President Christina Paxson said the agreement represents a voluntary resolution and preserves the school’s academic autonomy.

She emphasized that the deal does not give federal authorities any say in the university’s curriculum or academic discourse.

Paxson also stated that the investment in local workforce programs aligns with Brown’s long-standing mission of service and community engagement.

The agreement requires Brown to refrain from what federal officials described as “unlawful racial discrimination” in its admissions process and university-sponsored events.

The university must also provide federal authorities access to relevant demographic and policy data to ensure compliance with the deal.

Furthermore, Brown is expected to adopt federal definitions of “male” and “female” based on an executive order signed by President Trump earlier this year.

These definitions will apply specifically to women’s sports, housing, campus facilities, and university programming.

The agreement also mandates that Brown’s health clinics refrain from offering gender reassignment procedures to minors and from prescribing puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones to underage students.

Additionally, the university must implement steps aimed at improving the campus climate for Jewish students, an issue flagged by recent federal inquiries.

The Trump administration has made it a priority to scrutinize DEI programs in higher education institutions, arguing that many such initiatives violate federal civil rights protections.

The settlement with Brown is being viewed by conservative policy advocates as a model for how the administration intends to reform elite academic institutions.

Meanwhile, university officials and student groups across the country continue to express concern about what they see as growing federal intrusion into academic freedom and student health policy.

Observers say similar deals are being pursued with other top-tier institutions, including Harvard University, which could signal a continued wave of compliance settlements across the higher education landscape.

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