Washington In a move that might endanger all of Harvard University’s government funding, including federal student aid, President Donald Trump’s administration stepped up its fight against the university on Monday by officially declaring that it tolerated antisemitism.
According to a letter to Harvard, a federal task force’s inquiry revealed that the university knowingly engaged in antisemitic harassment of Jewish teachers and students. Unless Harvard complies, the task force vowed to forward the case to the Justice Department for a civil rights lawsuit as soon as feasible.
The discovery intensifies the White House’s dispute with Harvard, which has been subject to growing penalties since turning down a set of federal demands that called for significant adjustments to admissions, hiring, and campus administration. The government has already cut nearly $2.6 billion in grants for research. However, Harvard may lose its ability to receive government funds or loans for students to attend the university as a result of the civil rights violation, which is sometimes referred to as a “death sentence” in higher education.
In a letter obtained by The Associated Press and first reported by The Wall Street Journal, officials stated that Harvard’s relationship with the federal government would continue to suffer and that failure to implement sufficient changes immediately would result in the loss of all federal financial resources.
A official investigative finding gives the Trump administration a way to stop more federal funding, despite the administration’s months-long accusations that Harvard tolerates antisemitism on campus.
Although Trump has personally attacked Harvard, he hinted on June 20 that a settlement ending the months-long dispute might be imminent. Trump said in a social media post that Harvard had behaved quite well during the discussions. He didn’t go into detail about what a possible resolution may entail.
Regarding whether it is engaging in negotiations with the White House, Harvard has remained silent. Harvard stated on Monday that it is dedicated to combating bias and that it strongly disagrees with the government’s findings.
According to a statement from the university, antisemitism is a severe issue and is never acceptable, regardless of the situation. In order to address the underlying roots of antisemitism in its community, Harvard has taken significant and aggressive measures.
In a 57-page report outlining an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services’ civil rights office, federal officials presented their case. A federal antisemitic task force includes the agency as one of several representatives.
A Harvard-commissioned research on campus antisemitism that was published in April served as the foundation for the government’s probe. Numerous facts from that study were referenced by federal officials, including reports of Jewish students who claimed to have been spit on and subjected to slogans such as Heil Hitler on campus.
It mainly focuses on the demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war that took place last year. Federal officials claimed in the letter to Harvard that an illegal, multi-week encampment had taken over the campus, frightening Jewish and Israeli students and interfering with their academic pursuits.
Noting that none of the students involved in the camping were suspended, it charges Harvard of applying uneven and lenient discipline.
Although Harvard has made progress in combating prejudice, President Alan Garber has acknowledged that there are issues with antisemitism and anti-Muslim intolerance on campus. After the antisemitic research was out in April, he proposed new activities.
Garber remarked at the time, “Harvard cannot and will not tolerate bigotry.”
Harvard violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to the Monday letter. Almost invariably, these rulings have been settled amicably between the federal government and schools. But compared to its predecessors, the Trump administration has adopted a far more abrasive stance.
Decades have passed since an administration has tried to deny federal funds to a college or school for civil rights infractions. In a Justice Department lawsuit against Maine about transgender sports, Trump officials are aiming for that result, and they are threatening to do the same in a related inquiry into California.
Harvard became the first university to reject White House requests addressing charges of liberal prejudice and antisemitism, and Trump authorities have slashed the campus with sanctions. The administration has tried to prevent Harvard from accepting international students in addition to reducing research funding, and President Donald Trump has stated that Harvard should no longer be free from taxes.
A clause that permits the government to terminate grants and contracts that no longer support federal aims was used to implement Harvard’s prior budget cuts. That tactic is being contested in court and is thought to be unprecedented. However, by claiming a civil rights violation, the government has set Harvard up for more sanctions.
