Harvard sues Trump administration over freezing over $2 billion in funding

Harvard University filed a lawsuit on April 21 against the administration of US President Donald Trump over multi-billion dollar cuts to the universityʼs research funding.

This was reported by the universityʼs student newspaper, the Harvard Crimson.

The university took this step a day after media reported that the Trump administration wants to cut another billion dollars in federal grants and contracts to Harvard, in addition to the already existing $2.2 billion cut.

The university accused the White House of waging an "arbitrary and unconstitutional campaign" to "punish" the university for defending its constitutional rights.

In its complaint, Harvard said the White House administration was trying to force the university to restructure its governance, academic programs, and hiring practices. It argued that the freeze violated the First Amendment to the Constitution.

The university also accused federal agencies of circumventing legal procedures. Harvard claims that the Department of Health and Human Services stopped granting grants without proper legal justification. The universityʼs lawyers wrote that the grant freeze "has nothing to do with anti-Semitism or Title VI compliance".

What preceded

In March, the US government said it would review $9 billion in funding for Harvard over alleged anti-Semitism, which escalated after student protests against Palestinian rights. A Department of Education task force accused the university of abusing its position and “believing that federal funding does not obligate them to comply with civil rights laws”.

They demanded that activistsʼ influence be limited, that an independent commission be created to review faculties, that faculty and students be hired solely on merit, without regard to race, color, or nationality, and that violations by international students be reported.

Harvard University rejected the Trump administrationʼs demands and lost $2.2 billion in funding as a result.

• In November 2023, more than 1 600 Jewish alumni stopped donating to Harvard University due to anti-Semitism at rallies in support of Palestine.
• In January 2024, Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned amid allegations of plagiarism and a lackluster response to anti-Semitism at the institution.
• That same month, several Jewish students filed a lawsuit against the institution, accusing it of tolerating harassment, assault, and intimidation of students of Jewish origin.

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