The US Department of Justice on Friday filed a new lawsuit against Harvard University, alleging that its leadership has failed to address anti-Semitism on campus. In a complaint filed in federal court in Boston, the Justice Department said Harvard remains willfully indifferent to hostilities on its campus and willfully refuses to enforce its campus rules when the victims are Jews or Israelis.
“This sent a clear message to Harvard’s Jewish and Israeli communities that the indifference was no accident; they were intentionally excluded and effectively denied equal access to educational opportunities,” the complaint states.
Harvard accused of civil rights violations
According to the lawsuit, Harvard’s indifference to Jews and Israelis violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program that receives federal funding.
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“The United States cannot and will not tolerate these failures and is taking this action to compel Harvard to comply” with federal civil rights law, the Justice Department wrote in the lawsuit, “and to recover billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies awarded to a discriminatory institution.”
How much will he get back from Harvard
It is not clear how much the government is asking for. The complaint alleges that Harvard is to receive more than $2.6 billion in taxpayer money from the US Department of Health and Human Services alone.
Trump vs. Harvard
Harvard has been central to the president’s campaign to force changes at major US universities, which Trump has derided for alleged anti-Semitic and “radical left” ideologies, by threatening to withhold or withdraw federal funding.
Last year, the administration canceled hundreds of research grants to Harvard researchers because the school allegedly failed to stop harassment of Jewish students on campus.
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Harvard sued the administration over some of the actions, leading U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston to rule in September that it had illegally terminated more than $2 billion in research grants.
Burroughs also blocked the administration’s effort to ban international students from taking classes. Management will appeal against both decisions.
Allegations of Anti-Semitism Against Harvard
In June, the Trump administration said a civil rights investigation had led to a formal finding that Harvard tolerated anti-Semitism.
In a letter sent to Harvard, the federal task force said its investigation found the university was a “deliberate participant” in anti-Semitic harassment of Jewish students and faculty. The task force threatened to refer the case to the Justice Department to file a civil rights lawsuit “as soon as possible” if Harvard did not comply.
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Harvard responded that it strongly disagreed with the government’s findings and was committed to combating bias.
“Anti-Semitism is a serious problem and is unacceptable regardless of context,” the university said in a statement. “Harvard has taken major and proactive steps to address the root causes of anti-Semitism in its community.”
Trump vs Ivy League
Since taking office, Trump has targeted elite universities that he believes are inundated with left-wing ideology and anti-Semitism. His administration froze billions of dollars in research grants that universities had come to rely on for scientific and medical research.
Several universities have reached agreements with the White House to restore funding. Some deals involved direct payments to the government, including $200 million from Columbia University. Brown University has agreed to pay $50 million to state workforce development groups.
(With inputs from AP, Reuters)
Key things
- The lawsuit highlights the importance of addressing discrimination in educational institutions.
- Federal funding can be affected by allegations of civil rights violations, impacting university operations.
- The case highlights ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and elite universities over perceived bias and ideological control.
