Harvard Faces Federal Review Over Antisemitism Allegations \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ The Trump administration has launched a federal review of Harvard University over alleged antisemitism, potentially endangering over $8.9 billion in grants and contracts. A special task force is scrutinizing Harvard’s compliance with civil rights laws, following similar action against Columbia University. The move has sparked praise from some Jewish organizations and concern from free speech advocates.
Harvard Antisemitism Probe: Quick Looks
- Federal antisemitism task force launches review of Harvard
- $255M in contracts and $8.7B in grants under scrutiny
- Review could halt contracts if civil rights violations found
- Harvard joins 100+ institutions under antisemitism or Islamophobia probes
- Columbia recently lost $400M in federal funding
- Trump officials say Ivy Leagues tolerate antisemitism
- Critics warn of free speech and academic freedom threats
- Harvard has not commented publicly on the investigation
- Review led by Education, HHS, and GSA departments
- Legal challenge filed by professors’ and teachers’ unions
Deep Look
Harvard University is now the latest elite institution caught in the crosshairs of the Trump administration’s escalating effort to combat campus antisemitism, with federal officials announcing a sweeping investigation that could threaten billions of dollars in federal funding for the university and its affiliates.
On Monday, the administration revealed that a multi-agency federal task force is undertaking a comprehensive review of Harvard’s compliance with civil rights laws. The probe targets more than $255 million in current federal contracts and an estimated $8.7 billion in future federal grant commitments, all of which are now subject to scrutiny. The Departments of Education, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the General Services Administration (GSA) are jointly leading the review, which will determine if Harvard violated federal civil rights protections by failing to address antisemitism on its campus.
The announcement marks the latest use of a controversial enforcement mechanism: instead of relying on the traditional, lengthy Department of Education investigations under civil rights statutes, the Trump administration has opted for a swifter and more financially impactful strategy—immediately pulling contracts and threatening future grant funding. The tactic gained national attention after Columbia University was penalized with a $400 million cut and forced to comply with demands from the administration. Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, resigned last week after the university agreed to many of those demands.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon was blunt in her criticism of Harvard, stating that the institution “has jeopardized its reputation by promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiry” and by failing to safeguard Jewish students on campus. “Harvard can right these wrongs and restore itself to a campus dedicated to academic excellence and truth-seeking,” she said.
This investigation is part of a broader initiative launched by the Trump administration after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which was followed by waves of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at colleges nationwide. Many of these protests originated at Columbia and spread to other Ivy League schools, drawing backlash from Republican lawmakers who claim the events have allowed antisemitism to thrive unchecked.
Dozens of schools—over 100 universities and school systems—are now under investigation for either antisemitism or Islamophobia. Harvard has emerged as one of the most high-profile targets. The task force is not only auditing its direct federal contracts but has also ordered the university to submit a detailed list of all contracts and agreements, including those held by its affiliated institutions.
Sean Keveney, acting general counsel for HHS, confirmed the administration’s intent to “refocus our institutions of higher learning on the core values that undergird a liberal education.” He said that officials are pleased Harvard is cooperating so far with the inquiry.
But the move has also ignited fierce criticism from academic freedom and civil rights groups. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the administration’s use of financial leverage to enforce ideological compliance. These groups argue that the abrupt withdrawal of funding based on undefined or politicized accusations is a threat to free speech, institutional independence, and shared governance in higher education.
The White House has remained firm in its stance. Officials, including former President Donald Trump, have labeled many student protesters “pro-Hamas,” and have painted university administrators as unwilling or unable to counter antisemitic sentiments on their campuses. Student activists, on the other hand, argue they are protesting Israel’s military actions in Gaza—not expressing support for terrorism—and have accused the administration of conflating political dissent with hate speech.
The campus unrest, combined with pressure from Capitol Hill, has already triggered major leadership upheavals at top universities. In addition to Columbia’s Armstrong, the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania also resigned in recent months, a sign of the intense scrutiny these institutions now face.
The administration has not yet issued specific corrective demands to Harvard as it did with Columbia. But the underlying message is clear: failure to address antisemitism allegations could lead to immediate and severe financial consequences.
With billions in federal funding at stake, Harvard’s next steps could set a precedent for how other universities respond to future probes. Whether the institution will fight the government’s action, negotiate terms of compliance, or seek legal intervention remains to be seen.
As the battle over antisemitism, campus speech, and federal funding continues to unfold, Harvard has found itself at the center of a broader cultural and legal reckoning that could reshape the relationship between universities and the federal government for years to come.
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