Professors at Harvard University have sued the Trump administration over its threat to withhold billions of dollars in grants, which they argue undermines “academic freedom and free speech.”
The complaint arises from an April 3 letter detailing “non-exhaustive areas of reform that the government views as necessary for Harvard to implement to remain a responsible recipient of federal taxpayer dollars.”
The letter urged the university to provide oversight for programs linked to antisemitism, end efforts promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and cooperate with law enforcement activities.
“We expect your immediate cooperation in implementing these critical reforms that will enable Harvard to return to its original mission of providing a high-quality education in a safe environment for all students through a focus on truth-seeking, innovative research, and academic excellence,” the letter said.
According to the lawsuit, “Harvard, like all American universities, depends on federal funding to conduct its academic research. Threats like these are an existential ‘gun to the head’ for a university.” The filing adds that the letter’s demands “overtly seek to impose on Harvard University political views and policy preferences advanced by the Trump administration and commit the University to punishing disfavored speech.”
Upon launching the review into Harvard, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the university 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.”
“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,” she said. “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.”
