Harvard failed to protect Jewish students, violated their civil rights, finds Trump administration

The investigation’s findings come just weeks after a Harvard task force described an “alienating and hostile atmosphere” experienced by many Jewish and Israeli students during the 2023–24 academic year. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the letter’s contents.

For months, the Trump administration has been critical of Harvard, accusing it of failing to address antisemitism. More recently, the government has widened its focus, launching inquiries into alleged discrimination against white male students in admissions and limiting the number of international students allowed at the university.

In response, the administration has already cut billions in federal research funding to Harvard, affecting both its finances and reputation.

Harvard has not yet issued a comment on the latest development. However, The New York Times reported that the university had reopened talks with the administration about a possible settlement. The letter with the civil rights findings could be an attempt to gain more leverage in those negotiations.

Trump posted on social media on June 20 that if a settlement is reached under current discussions, it would be “mindbogglingly HISTORIC, and very good for our Country.” He also said that Harvard’s leadership “have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right.”

This latest move follows similar action taken by the administration in May, when the Department of Health and Human Services found civil rights violations at Columbia University. Columbia had also lost hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding by the time the findings were made public.

The Trump administration has said it wants to reshape the culture of American universities, claiming that elite schools such as Harvard and Columbia have allowed antisemitism and political bias to grow. Last week, the administration forced the University of Virginia’s president to resign due to disagreements over the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

While several university leaders, including Harvard’s President Garber, have admitted to problems in handling anti-Israel protests, many see the administration’s push for more control over admissions, staffing, and academic content as a threat to academic freedom.