The Trump administration has launched an extensive review of Harvard University’s federal contracts as part of its ongoing effort to address antisemitism on college campuses.
The investigation, which could put billions of dollars in government funding at risk, was announced on Monday, reported The Associated Press.
A federal task force on antisemitism is examining over $255 million in existing contracts between Harvard and the US government to ensure compliance with civil rights regulations. Additionally, officials will scrutinize $8.7 billion in federal grant commitments linked to the university and its affiliated institutions.
The same task force recently reduced Columbia University’s federal funding by $400 million and warned that additional cuts could follow if the institution failed to meet specific government demands.
Earlier this month, Columbia agreed to implement several changes, a move that earned approval from some Jewish organizations while drawing criticism from free speech advocates who viewed it as excessive federal interference.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon addressed the situation, emphasizing Harvard’s historical significance while warning that its reputation was at stake.
“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,” McMahon stated, as quoted by AP.
The announcement did not specify any particular directives given to Harvard. The review is being conducted by the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the US General Services Administration.
Harvard, like other universities in the US, has seen an uptick in anti-Israel activity since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the war in Gaza which followed. The university has come under fire over its handling of antisemitism on campus.
Just two days after the October 7 massacre, a coalition of 34 Harvard student organizations released a statement in which they blamed Israel for Hamas’ attack.
Later, then-Harvard President Claudine Gay came under fire after she, along with MIT President Sally Kornbluth and University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, testified before a congressional hearing on the issue of antisemitism on college campuses.
All three university presidents gave similar answers to Rep. Elise Stefanik in which they failed to unequivocally condemn antisemitism or even calls for genocide against Jews. Gay eventually resigned as President of Harvard.
In May, anti–Israel protesters at Harvard voluntarily took down a protest encampment after university officials agreed to discuss their questions about the endowment.
The anti-Israel protests began again with the start of the new academic year in early September, when anti-Israel protesters donning keffiyehs marched through the Harvard campus, waving Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flags and chanting “Long live the intifada” and “Globalize the intifada”.
