Trump officials accuse Harvard of violating civil rights over antisemitism, warning all federal funding will be cut if reforms aren’t made.

Federal Investigation Finds Pattern of Discrimination

The Trump administration has issued Harvard University a formal Notice of Violation, citing what officials call deliberate and systemic discrimination against Jewish students on campus. In a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber, the multi-agency Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism stated that an investigation by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found the university in “violent violation” of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on race, color, or national origin.

The investigation detailed numerous, repeated examples of harassment, including physical assaults, threats, and the widespread concealment of Jewish identity among students out of fear of ostracization. According to the OCR, the majority of Jewish students reported negative bias or discrimination, and a quarter said they felt physically unsafe on campus. The report described incidents where Jewish and Israeli students were assaulted, spit on, or excluded from campus spaces. One prominent example involved campus imagery, including a dollar sign inside a Star of David and vandalism featuring the Israeli flag with a swastika replacing the Star of David.

Failure to Address Antisemitism Draws Federal Rebuke

The letter further criticized Harvard’s response to campus demonstrations following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. Officials said anti-Israel protests included calls for genocide and murder and that Jewish and Israeli students were denied access to campus areas. According to the findings, disciplinary actions against students involved in these protests were inconsistent, with only a small fraction facing any punishment and none being suspended.

Federal officials stated that Harvard “did not dispute our findings of fact, nor could it,” accusing the university of institutional inaction and of upholding a “demographic hierarchy” that allows antisemitism to flourish. The letter charged that Harvard’s approach to diversity has led to Jewish students hiding their identities and facing humiliation at a university “once committed to excellence.”

Warning of Severe Penalties for Noncompliance

The administration made clear that unless Harvard implements immediate reforms, it will lose all federal financial resources and face ongoing impacts to its relationship with the government. Officials noted that Harvard “may of course continue to operate free of federal privileges,” but cautioned that failure to comply with civil rights law would come at a steep cost.

The investigation comes as the Trump administration has already moved to cut billions in federal research funds to Harvard, with university officials warning of significant financial strain and layoffs. The federal letter concluded by referencing the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that banned race-based affirmative action in admissions, drawing a line between historic and ongoing patterns of discrimination.

As Harvard weighs its response, the outcome will likely shape future relations between higher education and federal authorities, setting a precedent for civil rights enforcement on college campuses nationwide.