The Donald Trump administration has determined that Harvard University broke federal civil rights law by failing to protect Jewish students from harassment during campus protests, according to a report in The New York Times published on Monday.
Sources familiar with the letter sent to Harvard’s president, Alan M. Garber, told NYT that the university didn’t address the concerns of Jewish and Israeli students who felt threatened or unsafe during demonstrations related to the Gaza conflict.
🚨 Trump admin says Harvard violated civil rights laws
A federal investigation has concluded that Harvard failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment on campus.
A letter warns the university could lose all federal funding if it doesn’t take immediate… pic.twitter.com/S2Oaam7hVu
— Depin Bhat (@DepinBhat) June 30, 2025
Donald Trump’s criticism towards Harvard
The Trump administration has been criticising Harvard for months, accusing the school of not doing enough to fight antisemitism. Lately, officials have expanded their scrutiny, investigating alleged discrimination against white male applicants and imposing limits on the number of international students Harvard can accept.
As part of its actions, the administration has already slashed billions in federal research funding, a blow to Harvard’s finances and its standing in the academic world.
Harvard hasn’t commented publicly yet. The New York Times noted that the university has reopened discussions with government officials about a possible settlement. The civil rights letter could give the administration more leverage in these talks.
On June 20, Trump wrote on social media that a potential settlement would be “mindbogglingly HISTORIC, and very good for our Country.” He also praised Harvard’s leadership for their conduct in the negotiations, saying they seem committed to resolving the matter.
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Donald Trump’s motive to overhaul culture of elite American universities
This isn’t the first time the administration has taken such steps. Back in May, the Department of Health and Human Services found civil rights violations at Columbia University, which lost hundreds of millions in federal funding.
The Donald Trump administration has said it wants to overhaul the culture of elite American universities, arguing that schools like Harvard and Columbia have let antisemitism and political bias take root. Just last week, the University of Virginia’s president was pressured to resign after disputes over diversity and inclusion policies.
Some university leaders, including Harvard’s Garber, have acknowledged mistakes in how they handled the anti-Israel protests. Still, many in academia see the administration’s push for more oversight in admissions, staffing, and curriculum as a direct challenge to academic freedom.
