The Trump administration stated that a US investigation concluded that Harvard University violated the Civil Rights Law in the treatment of Jewish and Israeli students, endangering the institution’s federal funding.
“In some cases, Harvard has been deliberately indifferent and, in others, has been an intentional anti-Semitic harassment participant to Jewish students, teachers and staff,” the government told the university president, Alan Garber. “Failure to institute appropriate changes will immediately result in the loss of all federal financial resources.”
The conclusion increases the pressure on the oldest and most rich US University, less than two weeks after President Donald Trump claims that he was close to an agreement with the institution after months of attacks. Its administration has already canceled more than $ 2.6 billion in federal research funds for Harvard, threatened the school exemption status of the school and tried to prevent foreign students enrollment.
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In the letter to Harvard, authorities, including Attorney General Assistant Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, did not detail the additional financial penalties that the government is considering. But the government has other levers, such as PELL subsidies for low-income students and access to the federal student loans program, which in Harvard is mainly used by postgraduate students.
Harvard said he vehemently disagree with government conclusions. The university stated that it “has advanced significantly in the fight against prejudice, hatred and discrimination” and remains committed to ensuring that Jewish and Israeli students can prosper in the campus.
“Anti -Semitism is a serious problem and, in any context, it is unacceptable,” the institution said. “Harvard has adopted proactive and substantive measures to attack the causes of anti -Semitism in his community.”
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As Trump intensified his attacks, Harvard reacted by processing the government by stopping federal funds and attempting to prohibit enrollment of foreigners. Garber, who is Jewish, questioned the administration’s interest in cooperating in coping with anti -Semitism, and Harvard accused the government of making “unconstitutional demands” that would devastate academic freedom.
Non -campus protests
In his investigation, the government stated that “most Jewish students reported negative bias experiences or campus discrimination, while a room felt physically insecure.” The letter mentioned the frequency of pro-passage protests in the campus after the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, and the Jewish state’s retaliatory response in Gaza, and said Harvard did not properly punish students who violated the university rules.
The government letter was reported first by Wall Street Journal.
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The White House has made Harvard its main target in its campaign to reformulate higher education. Although the government initially accused Harvard of fostering anti -Semitism, the attack expanded to include accusations of political bias and encouraging diversity initiatives in hiring and admissions.
The Harvard dispute is part of a broader campaign influenced by Trump’s advisor and deputy chief policy office Stephen Miller. Administration also aimed at other prominent universities, such as Columbia, Cornell and Northwestern.
Last week, the president of the University of Virginia, James Ryan, said he resigned instead of fighting the US government amid an investigation by the Trump administration on initiatives of diversity, equity and inclusion of the institution.
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Initially, Harvard refused to negotiate with the White House, and Garber accused the administration of trying to regulate the university’s intellectual conditions. The school, which issued challenging statements about its independence, was forced to dismiss employees and reduce spending due to the government’s multiple actions.
Trump suggested that an agreement was underway earlier this month, saying that Harvard had kept conversations with authorities to resolve the impasse.
“They acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations and seem committed to doing what is right,” Trump posted on the social Truth on June 20. “If an agreement is achieved based on what is currently being discussed, it will be ‘incredibly’ historical and very good for our country.”
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Meanwhile, the university has released reports on anti-Semitism and anti-mulhane bias on campus, with Garber apologizing “for the moments when we fail to meet the high expectations we just have for our community.” He also acknowledged that he was the target of Harvard anti -Semitism recently.
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