Harvard is in ‘violent violation’ of Jewish students’ civil rights, Trump admin decides

Harvard University risks losing access to all federal funding and resources as the Trump administration’s Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism declared the school in “violent violation” of Jewish students’ civil rights.

The following article is a part of University Business’ ongoing coverage of President Donald J. Trump’s impact on higher education during his second term in office. Click here for the latest updates.

The Department of Education task force sent a harshly worded letter Monday to Harvard President Alan Garber, calling the university “the most prominent and visible breeding ground for race discrimination.” In finding Harvard in violation of Title VI, it also compared the environment at Harvard to Nazi Germany leading up to the Holocaust.

“Harvard has been in some cases deliberately indifferent, and in others has been a willful participant in anti-Semitic harassment of Jewish students, faculty, and staff,” the letter contends.

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A majority of Jewish students reported experiencing bias or discrimination on Harvard’s campus, while a quarter felt physically unsafe in the wake of protests against the war in Gaza, the investigation found.

“Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and continue to affect Harvard’s relationship with the federal government,” the task force’s letter concludes.

“Harvard may, of course, continue to operate free of federal privileges, and perhaps such an opportunity will spur a commitment to excellence that will help Harvard thrive once again.”

The task force said its investigation also found that:

• Jewish and Israeli students were assaulted and spit on, and tried to hide their identities from classmates.
• Antisemitic images and stickers, including swastikas, were circulated on campus.
• Protestors called for “genocide and murder” and barred Jewish students from accessing campus spaces.
• Protestors who occupied portions of campus and disrupted the lives of Jewish students were not adequately punished.

Trump has also cited antisemitism and campus protests as reasons for preventing Harvard from enrolling international students. Though a federal judge has so far blocked the effort, it has created uncertainty for both the university and its students from outside the U.S.