CAMBRIDGE, MA — Harvard University has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging the legality of a $2.2 billion freeze in research funding and threats to revoke its tax-exempt status. The university contends that these actions infringe upon its constitutional rights and represent an overreach of federal authority.
The dispute centers on the administration’s demands for Harvard to implement changes in its campus policies, including altering leadership and admissions procedures, auditing campus diversity views, ceasing recognition of certain student organizations, and disciplining protesters. These demands followed accusations that Harvard failed to protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian protests.
Harvard President Alan Garber stated that the university would not yield to what it perceives as violations of First Amendment rights and the Civil Rights Act. The lawsuit asserts that the funding freeze is unrelated to national security or research goals and warns of significant harm to innovation and public interest.
The legal action has garnered support from academic leaders nationwide. Over 100 presidents of U.S. colleges and universities have signed a joint statement denouncing the administration’s actions as “unprecedented government overreach and political interference” in higher education. The statement emphasizes the importance of academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
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