In a single week, higher education found itself answering to multiple branches of the federal government.
In this episode of Campus Docket, co-hosts Scott Schneider and Eric Kelderman walk through three cases shaking the sector: Columbia’s preemptive Title VI settlement with the Trump administration, Harvard’s legal stand post-SFFA, and a new executive order aimed at reshaping oversight of college athletics.
Columbia’s move raised eyebrows, not just for its speed, but for what it signals: Universities may be choosing to preemptively settle to avoid the chaos of public legal fights, even when no formal charges are filed. And as Scott and Eric point out, that could set a new precedent for how institutions respond to future complaints. At Harvard, the legal fallout from the Supreme Court’s SFFA decision continues to unfold. The university is now facing a Department of Education investigation under Title VI, raising new questions about how institutions can demonstrate compliance while preserving their commitment to diversity.
Meanwhile, the executive branch is setting its sights on college athletics. A new executive order could dramatically shift how federal agencies oversee compliance in sports programs. For institutions already navigating NIL policies, Title IX, and gender equity lawsuits, it’s yet another legal curveball.
But these aren’t just legal issues, they’re cultural ones. What happens when free speech, protest, and diversity all live in a compliance framework? And what happens when fear of lawsuits starts dictating university policy?
Listen to the latest Campus Docket.
The Docket
- SFFA v. Harvard & UNC (2023)
- In a 6–2 decision, the Court found both Harvard’s and UNC’s use of race in admissions unconstitutional—policies lacked clear objectives, narrow tailoring, and measurable end points.
- House v. NCAA (2025)
- Judge Claudia Wilken approved the deal between the NCAA, its most powerful conferences and lawyers representing all Division I athletes.
- The NCAA will pay nearly $2.8 billion in back damages over the next 10 years to athletes who competed in college at any time from 2016 through present day.
- News on Legal Developments
- Additional Legal Concepts and Entities Referenced
- Title IX (gender equity in education)
- Title VI (discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs and activities that receive federal funds)
- The Clery Act (1990)
- Administrative Procedure Act (APA)
- Saving College Sports
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)
