Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss demands details on Northwestern's deal with Trump admin
Evanston mayor demands details on Northwestern’s deal with Trump admin
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss wrote a letter to the Trump administration expressing his concerns about the settlement reached with Northwestern University over Antisemitism claims.
EVANSTON, Ill. - Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss wrote a letter to the Trump administration expressing his concerns about the settlement reached with Northwestern University to restore federal funding after claims the school’s mishandling of antisemitism on campus.
Biss is also running as a Democrat for Congress in the 9th District to replace U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky.
What they're saying:
The letter is addressed to Education Sec. Linda McMahon.
It reads in part, "As Mayor of Evanston — the city that hosts Northwestern’s main campus and bears the direct consequences of this agreement — I am writing to demand clarification of this deal and its impact on our community. The limited information released so far is unacceptable and has already created deep confusion and alarm across our community."
Biss specifically asked for more clarity on issues like the enforcement of protest and campus conduct rules, implications for healthcare provided by the university, immigration enforcement and how it pertains to international students, and civil rights and anti-discrimination mandates.
Late last month, Northwestern agreed to pay the Trump administration $75 million to have its federal research grants restored. The settlement has divided Northwestern's faculty and student body.
Nearly $800 million in federal funding was frozen after the Trump administration found the school failed to protect Jewish students during campus protests related to the war in Gaza.
Under the deal, Northwestern’s School of Medicine is barred from performing "hormonal interventions and transgender surgeries" on minor patients.
However, the university said it has never performed those surgeries.