The US Justice Department filed a new lawsuit Friday against Harvard University, saying its leadership failed to address antisemitism on campus. In a complaint filed in Boston federal court, the DOJ said Harvard remains deliberately indifferent to hostility on its campus and has intentionally refused to enforce its campus rules when victims are Jews or Israelis.
"This sent the clear message to Harvard’s Jewish and Israeli community that the indifference was not an accident; they were being intentionally excluded and effectively denied equal access to educational opportunities," the complaint said.
Harvard accused of Civil Rights violation According to the lawsuit, Harvard's indifference to Jews and Israelis violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in any program receiving federal funding.
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“The United States cannot and will not tolerate these failures and brings 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 of taxpayer subsidies awarded to a discriminatory institution.”
How much will be recovered from Harvard It's unclear how much the administration is seeking. The complaint said Harvard is set to receive more than $2.6 billion of taxpayer money from the US Department of Health and Human Services alone.
Trump vs Harvard Harvard has been a central focus of the president's campaign to force changes at major US universities, which Trump has derided for alleged antisemitic and "radical left" ideologies, by threatening to withhold or take back 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.
Harvard has sued the administration over some actions, leading US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston in September to rule that it had unlawfully terminated more than $2 billion of research grants.
Burroughs has also blocked the administration's effort to bar international students from attending classes. The administration is appealing both decisions.
Antisemitism allegations against Harvard In June, the Trump administration said a civil rights investigation had led to a formal finding that Harvard tolerated antisemitism.
In a letter sent to Harvard, a federal task force said its investigation had found the university was a “willful participant” in antisemitic 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,” unless Harvard came into compliance.
Harvard responded that it strongly disagreed with the government’s findings and was committed to fighting bias.
“Antisemitism is a serious problem and no matter the context, it is unacceptable,” the university said in a statement. “Harvard has taken substantive, proactive steps to address the root causes of antisemitism in its community.”
Trump vs Ivy League Since he took office, Trump has targeted elite universities he believes are overrun by left-wing ideology and antisemitism. His administration has frozen billions of dollars in research grants, which colleges have come to rely on for scientific and medical research.
Several universities have reached agreements with the White House to restore funding. Some deals have included direct payments to the government, including $200 million from Columbia University. Brown University agreed to pay $50 million toward state workforce development groups.
(With inputs form AP, Reuters)