Harvard University Files Lawsuit Over $2.2 Billion Funding Freeze Following Rejection of Trump Administration’s Demands | US News
Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump’s administration after it denied a series of requests from the White House and subsequently froze $2.2 billion (£1.6 billion) in federal funding.
The esteemed institution located in Massachusetts faces allegations of ideological bias and permitting antisemitism during last year’s campus protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The Trump administration had initiated a review of $9 billion (£6.7 billion) in federal grants for Harvard beginning in March, demanding that the university filter international students deemed “hostile to American values” and eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Protesters earlier this month at Harvard called on the university to resist interference by the federal government. Pic: Reuters
Students at a rally last week at Harvard against Donald Trump’s funding policies. Pic: AP
President Alan Garber of Harvard has stood firm against both these and additional reforms, causing the US President to question whether the university ought to lose its tax-exempt status.
Trump also criticized the university for what he termed “political, ideological, and terrorist-inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?'” in a message on Truth Social.
Recently, student-led demonstrations at Harvard have urged the university to resist any federal interference.
Harvard’s legal action, filed in Boston, labels the freeze on research funding as “arbitrary and capricious,” asserting it infringes on their First Amendment rights.
“The government has not – and cannot – demonstrate any logical link between the concerns over antisemitism and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research grants that have been suspended, which aim to save American lives, enhance American progress, protect American security, and uphold America’s status as a global leader in innovation,” stated the court documents.
Harvard University has rejected a series of demands from the White House. File pic: AP
On Monday, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields delivered a bold response to the lawsuit, stating: “The gravy train of federal assistance to institutions like Harvard, which compensate their excessively overpaid bureaucrats with tax dollars from struggling American families, is nearing an end.”
“Access to taxpayer funds is a privilege, and Harvard fails to meet the essential criteria needed to obtain that privilege,” he added.
The Trump administration has also withheld funding from other institutions, including Columbia, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern, and Brown, in light of the campus protests.
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However, demonstrators, including various Jewish organizations, argue that their criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza has been wrongly conflated with antisemitism.
Alan Garber, the president of Harvard University, affirmed that the institution will continue to combat hate and adhere to anti-discrimination laws.
A small encampment in support of Palestinians at the Harvard campus in April 2024. Pic: Reuters
The American Council on Education, a nonprofit with over 1,600 member colleges and universities, has expressed its support for Harvard’s legal action.
“It has been evident for weeks that the administration’s actions have violated due process and the rule of law. We commend Harvard for taking this decisive action.”
