Trump Administration Renew Lawsuit Against Harvard Over Antisemitism Allegations
The Trump administration escalated its legal actions against Harvard University on Friday by filing a lawsuit in Massachusetts. The suit alleges that the Ivy League institution violated the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli individuals following the conflict in Gaza.
The lawsuit, made public by the administration, accuses Harvard of permitting anti-Israel protesters to operate on campus "with impunity" after the 2023 Hamas terrorist attack on Gaza and Israel's extensive military response.
Last month, Donald Trump announced he had withdrawn federal funding from Harvard due to perceived antisemitism, and Friday's lawsuit represents the latest move in an ongoing dispute with one of the nation's most prestigious universities since his return to the presidency last year.
In September, a federal court ruled that the Trump administration could withhold $2.2 billion in federal research grants as part of the president's conflict with Harvard. This action was intended to penalize the university for resisting directives to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and to eliminate what Trump described as "left wing" ideological teaching, even as other institutions complied and made changes.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in the US federal court for the District of Massachusetts, according to The New York Times, reignited tensions that the September ruling had appeared to resolve.
The 44-page court filing asserts that Harvard "turned a blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis" by rigorously enforcing policies against other types of bias while allowing anti-Israel protests, such as a 2024 demonstration by pro-Palestinian activists, to proceed with little interference.
It alleges that Jewish and Israeli students "were repeatedly denied access to educational facilities by antisemitic demonstrators" and were also "harassed, physically assaulted, stalked, and spat upon."
According to the lawsuit, "Fearful for their safety, Jewish students wore baseball caps to conceal their yarmulkes, or kept out of sight," and Harvard's response was to "do nothing."
The complaint further states, "Harvard fostered and continues to foster a campus climate where hostile antisemitism and anti-Israeli conduct thrives."
Trump has previously accused Harvard of being "strongly antisemitic" and criticized the university for doing "a terrible job" in addressing the protests.
In April last year, Alan Garber, Harvard's president, rejected the president's allegations but acknowledged that the university had work to do.
"Harvard takes that work seriously. We will continue to fight hate with the urgency it demands as we fully comply with our obligations under the law. That is not only our legal responsibility. It is our moral imperative," he said.
Harvard also accused the administration of attempting to "gain control of academic decision-making." Garber emphasized that "the university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights."
In its latest filing, the government requests that the court find Harvard in violation of Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
If the government prevails, it could block the distribution of up to $9 billion in future grants and seek to recover previously awarded funds. Time reported last May that federal research funding accounted for 11% of Harvard's operating revenue in 2024, with other estimates indicating the university receives up to $800 million annually directly from the government.
University officials have warned that without federal funding, numerous vital science and medical research programs, including those focused on cancer and heart disease, would "face severe disruption."
The Friday lawsuit is the second legal action against Harvard by the Trump administration within a month. A prior lawsuit filed last month alleged that the university failed to comply with a requirement to provide data demonstrating that affirmative action was no longer part of its student admissions process.
An executive order issued by the president last year banning Harvard's foreign student population from entering the United States was blocked in Boston.
has reached out to Harvard for comment.
