"Deliberate indifference": U.S. targets Harvard in antisemitism suit
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The campus of Harvard Business School and Harvard University on July 26, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo: Brooks Kraft/Corbis via Getty Images.
The Trump administration sued Harvard on Friday, alleging the school "turned a blind eye" to the harassment of Jewish and Israeli students on campus in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
Why it matters: It's the latest example of the president using antisemitism investigations to influence university policy and administrators.
What they're saying: In the 44-page filing, the U.S. alleges Harvard acted with "deliberate indifference to discriminatory harassment of Jewish and Israeli students and creation of a hostile educational environment."
- "This sent the clear message to Harvard's Jewish and Israeli community that the indifference was not an accident; they were being intentionally excluded and effectively denied equal access to educational opportunities."
- "By ignoring the plight Jews and Israelis, who experienced all the hostility alleged in this complaint, Harvard's diversity bureaucrats failed those on campus that needed their help the most and made a mockery of their own existence."
The other side: A Harvard spokesperson told Axios that the university "actively enforces anti-harassment and anti-discrimination rules and policies on campus."
- "We also have enhanced training and education on antisemitism for students, faculty, and staff and launched programs to promote civil dialogue and respectful disagreement inside and outside the classroom."
- "Harvard's efforts demonstrate the very opposite of deliberate indifference," they said.
- "We will continue to prioritize this important work and will defend the University against this lawsuit, which represents yet another pretextual and retaliatory action by the administration for refusing to turn over control of Harvard to the federal government."
Zoom in: The U.S. filed the suit to "compel" Harvard to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on race or national origin.
- The suit also seeks to "recover billions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies awarded to a discriminatory institution."
- "Today's litigation underscores the Trump Administration's commitment to demanding better from our nation's schools and putting an end to discriminatory behavior that harms students," Attorney General Pamela Bondi told Axios in an emailed statement.
Catch up quick: Since returning to office, the Trump administration has tried to freeze Harvard's funding to push the university to address antisemitism and enact other reforms, including eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
- A judge ruled the president had illegally blocked nearly $3 billion in federal grants last September, and barred the administration from issuing new retaliatory freezes.
Go deeper: Universities have few good options under Trump's pressure campaign
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from Harvard University and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
