Trump administration says Harvard risks ‘loss of all federal resources' due to alleged campus antisemitism
Monday's notice marked a stark and renewed threat to Harvard's federal funding amid quiet negotiations between the elite school and government authorities that have otherwise been replete with court fights, threats to Harvard's research funding and foreign student enrollment — and the recent possibility of a detente raised by President Donald Trump.
'Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and continue to affect Harvard's relationship with the federal government,' administration officials, including Justice Department civil rights chief Harmeet K. Dhillon, wrote in a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber.
'Harvard may of course continue to operate free of federal privileges, and perhaps such an opportunity will spur a commitment to excellence that will help Harvard thrive once again,' the officials said. Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The institution could also lose federal student aid — one of the most severe consequences a university can face — if it doesn't agree to a resolution. About a fifth of Harvard's undergraduate students rely on a federal grant reserved for low-income students.
The notice from the Justice Department's antisemitism task force marked the completion of a civil rights investigation into the university pursued by the Department of Health and Human Services, which, according to the administration, has awarded Harvard more than $794 million in federal financial assistance since the 2023 fiscal year.
The government concluded Harvard has been 'in some cases deliberately indifferent, and in others has been a willful participant in anti-Semitic harassment of Jewish students, faculty, and staff' since the Israel-Hamas war began Oct. 7, 2023.
A 57-page HHS report that accompanied Monday's notice, obtained by POLITICO, detailed what the government said was a 'pattern of unlawful and unchecked discrimination' that included student-on-student harassment, exclusion from campus spaces and institutional-level acceptance of antisemitism.
Authorities also acknowledged an effort 'to secure compliance by voluntary means' through extended discussions with Harvard. HHS' civil rights division 'will make additional efforts to persuade Harvard to take appropriate corrective action, including through submission of a voluntary resolution agreement,' the report said.
Authorities told Harvard they would refer the matter to the Justice Department 'as soon as possible after the mailing of this Notice absent voluntary compliance.' The Wall Street Journal first reported news of the government findings.
The government's latest Harvard threat signals a shift in the administration's tone from just 10 days ago, when Trump declared a 'historic' deal between his administration and Harvard could soon be on the table.
'We have been working closely with Harvard, and it is very possible that a Deal will be announced over the next week or so,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social, the social media site he owns.
One administration official expressed cautious optimism about talks last week, saying there was 'a level of trust that Harvard wants to resolve the conflict and we can see a resolution by the end of the month.'
Now, that administration official said, Harvard 'hasn't lived up to its end of the bargain.'
'Talk is cheap, and the president isn't in the business of agreeing to deals in name only or falling for empty promises,' the administration official told POLITICO. 'He and his administration remain committed to working with Harvard, but it's a two-way street.'
Bianca Quilantan contributed to this report.
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