Harvard Files Lawsuit Against Trump Regarding Cuts in U.S. Federal Funding
Harvard has initiated legal action against Trump regarding U.S. matters.
TroibNews
On Monday, Harvard University initiated a lawsuit aimed at preventing U.S. President Donald Trump from freezing billions of dollars in federal funding. This action followed Harvard's refusal to comply with a list of demands issued by the White House, which the university claimed would compromise its independence.
The legal complaint, filed in federal court in Boston, contends that Trump is launching a sweeping assault on funding for groundbreaking research at prestigious universities, attempting to eradicate what he labels as antisemitism and ideological bias.
"This case involves the government's efforts to use the withholding of federal funding as leverage to gain control of academic decision-making at Harvard," the lawsuit stated.
Harvard asserts that the actions of the Trump administration are not only arbitrary and unlawful but also infringe upon the university's First Amendment rights related to free speech.
The White House has yet to provide a response to a request for comment regarding the lawsuit.
Since his inauguration in January, Trump has been increasingly critical of leading U.S. universities, alleging that they mishandled last year's pro-Palestinian protests and permitted antisemitism to thrive on campus. Protesters, including some Jewish organizations, argue that criticism of Israel's military operations in Gaza is being improperly equated with antisemitism.
Harvard is the first university to file a lawsuit in light of Trump's actions.
In March, the Trump administration began reviewing $9 billion in federal funding allocated to Harvard and subsequently issued the university a comprehensive list of demands, which included a ban on mask mandates and the termination of all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
As a result, the administration has frozen $2.3 billion in funding for Harvard and threatened to revoke the university's tax-exempt status and limit its ability to enroll international students. Additionally, it has required information regarding the university’s foreign affiliations, funding, students, and faculty.
Moreover, the Trump administration has suspended some funding to other institutions, including Columbia, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern, and Brown, in response to the campus protests.
In a statement concerning the lawsuit, university president Alan Garber emphasized that Harvard would persist in its efforts to combat hate while fully adhering to anti-discrimination laws, which Trump accused the university of failing to follow in its handling of the pro-Palestinian protests.
Garber remarked that instead of collaborating with Harvard to address antisemitism as mandated by civil rights legislation, the government was attempting "to control whom we hire and teach."
The lawsuit names several federal officials and agencies, including the departments of Health and Human Services, Energy, and Education.
Representatives from these agencies have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
The legal complaint, filed in federal court in Boston, contends that Trump is launching a sweeping assault on funding for groundbreaking research at prestigious universities, attempting to eradicate what he labels as antisemitism and ideological bias.
"This case involves the government's efforts to use the withholding of federal funding as leverage to gain control of academic decision-making at Harvard," the lawsuit stated.
Harvard asserts that the actions of the Trump administration are not only arbitrary and unlawful but also infringe upon the university's First Amendment rights related to free speech.
The White House has yet to provide a response to a request for comment regarding the lawsuit.
Since his inauguration in January, Trump has been increasingly critical of leading U.S. universities, alleging that they mishandled last year's pro-Palestinian protests and permitted antisemitism to thrive on campus. Protesters, including some Jewish organizations, argue that criticism of Israel's military operations in Gaza is being improperly equated with antisemitism.
Harvard is the first university to file a lawsuit in light of Trump's actions.
In March, the Trump administration began reviewing $9 billion in federal funding allocated to Harvard and subsequently issued the university a comprehensive list of demands, which included a ban on mask mandates and the termination of all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
As a result, the administration has frozen $2.3 billion in funding for Harvard and threatened to revoke the university's tax-exempt status and limit its ability to enroll international students. Additionally, it has required information regarding the university’s foreign affiliations, funding, students, and faculty.
Moreover, the Trump administration has suspended some funding to other institutions, including Columbia, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern, and Brown, in response to the campus protests.
In a statement concerning the lawsuit, university president Alan Garber emphasized that Harvard would persist in its efforts to combat hate while fully adhering to anti-discrimination laws, which Trump accused the university of failing to follow in its handling of the pro-Palestinian protests.
Garber remarked that instead of collaborating with Harvard to address antisemitism as mandated by civil rights legislation, the government was attempting "to control whom we hire and teach."
The lawsuit names several federal officials and agencies, including the departments of Health and Human Services, Energy, and Education.
Representatives from these agencies have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
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