Federal agencies, including the departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and the US General Services Administration, are conducting a review of nearly $9 billion in contracts and grants with Harvard University over concerns regarding the school’s response to antisemitism.
Driving the news: The review is part of a federal task force’s efforts to combat antisemitism on college campuses, which intensified following high-profile incidents in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
- Recent policy changes at Columbia University were announced in response to the Trump administration’s revocation of $400 million in federal funding following campus protests.
What they’re saying: “Harvard has served as a symbol of the American Dream for generations – the pinnacle aspiration for students all over the world to work hard and earn admission to the storied institution,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a statement.
- McMahon continued, “Harvard’s failure to protect students on campus from anti-Semitic discrimination – all while promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiry – has put its reputation in serious jeopardy. Harvard can right these wrongs and restore itself to a campus dedicated to academic excellence and truth-seeking, where all students feel safe on its campus.”
- Harvard President Alan Garber said life-saving research would be halted if the funding is revoked.
- “We will engage with members of the federal government’s task force to combat antisemitism to ensure that they have a full account of the work we have done and the actions we will take going forward to combat antisemitism,” Garber said in a statement.
