UNC Settles Federal Probes, Agrees to Admissions and Protest Terms Through 2028

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has reached a settlement with the Trump administration that closes 18 open Education Department investigations and a separate Justice Department compliance review. The probes concerned alleged antisemitism on campus and race discrimination in admissions. The university announced the deal on Monday.

According to Fox News, UNC pays no money, admits no wrongdoing and stays eligible for federal funding. In return, Fox reported, it agrees to the administration's terms on admissions, antisemitism and protests, including new compliance officers and a policy on masks at protests. The agreement runs through the end of 2028.

The Chronicle of Higher Education called it the first such Trump deal of 2026. The details below come from secondary reporting; the agreement text and the Justice Department and Education Department releases were not available for this story.

What UNC Agreed To

Fox News reported that the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights will close its 18 investigations, and the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division will close a compliance review it opened in April 2025, shortly after President Trump returned to office. Fox's syndicated reports describe the agreement as voluntary.

Fox reported that UNC will appoint an internal Merit & Civil Rights Administrator and create a Title VI Coordinator position in its compliance office. Those two jobs will handle complaints of antisemitism and race discrimination.

On admissions, Fox reported that the university will adopt what the Justice Department calls a "color-blind admissions system." According to Fox, race may not be used, and the school may not change its admissions process to alter the racial makeup of the student body. In 2023 the Supreme Court struck down race-based admissions at UNC and Harvard.

On protests, Fox and Reuters reported that UNC will ban face masks that conceal a protester's identity, with some exceptions. According to Reuters, the agreement also states that student groups "shall be subject to discipline for antisemitic discriminatory conduct." The Hill described the deal as covering protest policies more broadly. The full text of the agreement was not available for this report, so details such as the mask-ban exceptions and how compliance will be monitored could not be confirmed.

Statements From Both Sides

Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, said in a Justice Department statement carried by Fox that "Title VI requires that all students — regardless of their ancestry or race — receive equal treatment under the law." She added that "we hope other institutions will take note and do the same."

According to Chapelboro, UNC's statement said the resolution avoids "the costs, uncertainty and distractions of prolonged legal proceedings" and "provides a responsible and constructive path" forward.

The claims of antisemitism and discrimination are the government's allegations. No finding of wrongdoing was made, and UNC denies liability. Reaction from UNC System leaders, faculty, state officials and outside groups was not available in the reporting reviewed for this story.

The Bigger Campaign

Fox reported that the administration has targeted universities over pro-Palestinian protests, diversity initiatives and transgender policies, and that it has settled with other schools, Columbia among them. Fox also linked a related administration proposal to strip tax-exempt status from schools that use race-based programs.

Reuters reported that protesters, including some Jewish groups, say opposing Israel's offensive in Gaza is not antisemitic.

One detail is still in question. The Hill put the number of investigations at 19, while Fox, Reuters and Chapelboro reported 18 Education Department probes plus the separate Justice Department review. The Hill's figure likely counts the review as the 19th, but that has not been confirmed.

What Comes Next

UNC will implement the terms, including the new administrator and coordinator roles. The agreement holds through the end of 2028. Details on compliance monitoring and reporting have not been made public. The Justice Department release and the agreement text remain the documents to watch.