Harvard University filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration April 21, after the federal government stated that they would cut off billions of dollars in funding unless the University complies with their proposed diversity, leadership and hiring policies.
The Department of Education, the General Services Administration, and Health and Human Services began this conflict March 31. They announced that they would review Harvard’s federal funding. This funding consists of 8.7 billion dollars in grants and around 255.6 million in contracts.
Harvard University received a letter the following week, laying out strict requirements Harvard would need to meet in order to maintain support and funding from the federal government. These requirements include eliminating all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs, changing hiring practices to exclude race, increasing viewpoint diversity and cooperating with the Department of Homeland Security during on-campus protests.
Harvard rejected these conditions, claiming they went against the federal government’s constitutional authority and infringed on their independence as a University. Harvard specifically points out that these requirements violate the First Amendment and exceed the limits of government authority within Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin in federally assisted activities. The University strongly maintains its stance as an intellectual private university that won’t be dictated by the federal government.
Additionally, the federal government’s list included cooperating with the administration over addressing antisemitism on campus. Harvard University maintains its stance that they will continue to address antisemitism, honoring the free speech and culture of all students. Harvard believes that the administration has overreached their authority and should not be able to dictate how they choose to operate as a University.
As a result to this rejection, the Trump administration cancelled Harvard University’s grants and contracts, costing them 2.2 billion in grants and 60 million in contracts. Trump also suggested that Harvard University would now have a tax-exempt status.
In response, Harvard officially filed a lawsuit, claiming the administration’s actions are politically motivated and a threat to the school’s academic freedom. Harvard University is now preparing for this lawsuit, aiming for a win.
This case will continue to move forward in federal court, with many worrying about how this outcome will affect the power dynamic between universities and the executive branch.
