Several Jewish faculty members at Columbia University have filed claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission seeking compensation from a $21 million antisemitism fund established as part of a settlement with the Trump administration.

The fund was created following Columbia's settlement last year over allegations of a hostile work environment for Jewish employees during campus protests against Israel's military operations in Gaza. The settlement included the establishment of the compensation fund for affected Jewish staff and faculty.

As the filing deadline closed this week, multiple Jewish faculty members submitted claims alleging they experienced harassment on campus. However, some of these faculty members indicated their mistreatment was connected to their support for Palestinian rights rather than traditional antisemitic harassment.

The claims represent an unexpected development in how the compensation fund is being utilized, as some applicants are Jewish faculty who faced backlash for their political positions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rather than harassment based on their Jewish identity alone.

The settlement and fund emerged from federal investigations into Columbia's handling of campus climate issues during a period of heightened tensions over Middle East conflicts. The university has faced ongoing scrutiny over its management of protests and campus discourse related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The EEOC will now review the submitted claims to determine eligibility for compensation under the terms of the settlement agreement.