The Trump administration launches another attack at Harvard’s federal funding in a terrifying new turn, but the university is not backing down
A high-stakes battle.
The Trump administration is suing Harvard University, alleging the school violated Jewish students’ civil rights. This move marks the latest escalation in the government’s yearlong campaign against the prestigious Ivy League institution, following a significant court setback where the administration lost a bid to strip the university of billions in federal funding.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the lawsuit, filed in federal district court in Massachusetts, claims Harvard failed to protect its Jewish and Israeli students by ignoring hostility on campus and refusing to enforce its own anti-harassment rules. The administration is looking to compel Harvard to comply with civil-rights law and recover millions in taxpayer dollars that the university accepted while allegedly being in violation.
There is a substantial amount of money in question here. Harvard is currently set to receive over $2.6 billion in grants from the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies.
The administration seems to be leaving no stone unturned in getting its way
According to the Trump administration, colleges like Harvard allowed antisemitism to flourish on campus after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department’s civil rights division, didn’t pull any punches, stating, “This Justice Department has no tolerance for such brazen violations of federal law.”
Harvard, for its part, isn’t just rolling over. The university states it cares deeply about its Jewish community members and is committed to making sure they are embraced and respected on campus. They’ve pointed to steps they’ve already taken to address antisemitism, including training programs and new antidiscrimination rules.
A Harvard spokeswoman was pretty direct, saying, “We will continue to prioritize this important work and will defend the University against this lawsuit, which represents yet another pretextual and retaliatory action by the administration for refusing to turn over control of Harvard to the federal government.” It sounds like they believe this is more about control than genuine concern.
This isn’t the first time the administration has gone after Harvard. This lawsuit is just the latest tactic in a much broader battle against Harvard and other elite universities. Last spring, the administration froze $2.2 billion in federal research grants to Harvard over similar allegations that the school tolerated antisemitism. Since then, they’ve threatened Harvard’s tax-exempt status, targeted its ability to enroll international students, and probed its acceptance of foreign donations.
In a previous round, Harvard actually sued the administration and won a key court battle last September. A federal judge ruled that the administration’s funding cuts were unconstitutional and ordered the money restored. Not one to back down, the administration filed an appeal in December. Harvard has consistently expressed confidence in its legal position.
The stakes are high for Harvard, which remains deeply dependent on federal funding. Trump has many levers he can pull to damage the university, and he’s certainly been using them.
In February, he posted on social media that he would seek $1 billion in damages from the school. Just a few days later, the Defense Department severed academic ties with Harvard, and the Justice Department then sued Harvard again for allegedly failing to produce documents needed in an investigation into whether the school discriminates against applicants during admissions.
The latest lawsuit seeks even more drastic measures, including a court-appointed monitor who would oversee Harvard’s compliance with civil rights laws. Harvard and the administration have been involved in on-and-off talks for months to try and resolve their dispute, but clearly, no deal has materialized.
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