Trump Administration Issues Ultimatum to Harvard to Address Campus Anti-Semitism

On April 3, the Department of Education mandated that Harvard University must adhere to a detailed plan to eliminate the harassment of Jewish students or risk losing billions in federal funding.

A letter from the department, recently acquired by The Epoch Times, outlines conditions similar to those Columbia University agreed to last month, following the federal agency’s decision to withdraw $400 million in funding for previous failures to address anti-Semitic incidents.

“We look forward to engaging in a meaningful dialogue aimed at achieving lasting, structural reforms at Harvard,” the letter states, signed by officials from the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the General Services Administration.

The letter specifies that Harvard must ensure oversight, accountability, and reform biased programs that contribute to anti-Semitism, aiming to “enhance viewpoint diversity and eliminate ideological control.”

Additionally, the university is required to implement various student reforms, which include lifting campus mask mandates, designating a senior administrator to oversee student disciplinary measures, and submitting a report detailing all rule violations related to anti-Semitism that have occurred since October 7, 2023.

An organizational framework must also be established to monitor administrators and faculty leaders responsible for executing these changes.

Harvard is also required to abolish all DEI programs and eliminate racial preferences in hiring and student admissions.

The letter further stipulates that the university must work in coordination with law enforcement and all federal regulatory bodies, including the Department of Homeland Security.

“We anticipate your prompt cooperation in enacting these essential reforms, which will facilitate Harvard’s return to its foundational mission of providing a safe, high-quality education for all students, anchored in truth-seeking, innovative research, and academic excellence,” the letter asserts.

It emphasized that immediate compliance is expected, though no specific deadline was mentioned.

In an email to The Epoch Times, Harvard University confirmed receipt of the letter and indicated that it had not received prior notifications regarding the imposition of conditions.

This week has been particularly eventful for presidents of Ivy League institutions.

On March 31, the Trump administration declared it was reviewing $8.7 billion in contracts with Harvard.

Alan Garber, the university’s president, promptly reached out to students and staff, affirming his cooperation with the federal government’s task force on anti-Semitism.

“In this manner, we combat bias and intolerance while fostering an environment conducive to excellence in teaching and research, which is central to our mission,” Garber stated.

The following day, federal agencies notified Princeton University that numerous federal research grants had been frozen due to incidents of anti-Semitism on campus.

On April 3, a White House representative confirmed that plans were underway to suspend $510 million in grants and contracts to Brown University, as that institution also failed to adequately address the harassment of Jewish students.

The anti-Semitism task force has previously put 60 colleges and universities under investigation.

Legal challenges are anticipated.

After Columbia University declared its compliance with all conditions necessary to maintain eligibility for federal funding, unions including the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers initiated a federal lawsuit to contest the actions of the Trump administration and seek the restoration of funding to the institution.