The Trump administration has determined that Harvard University violated federal civil rights law in its treatment of Jewish and Israeli students.
In a letter issued Monday by the Office for Civil Rights at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency said it concluded a Title VI investigation into rising incidents of antisemitism on campus and found Harvard has been in “violent violation” of the Civil Rights Act.
“After a thorough investigation, HHS OCR finds that Harvard University is in violent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin,” the letter stated.
The administration warned that Harvard could lose access to federal funding if it fails to implement immediate corrective measures. “Harvard may of course continue to operate free of federal privileges, and perhaps such an opportunity will spur a commitment to excellence that will help Harvard thrive once again,” the letter added.
According to the findings, Jewish students reported widespread discrimination, with nearly a quarter saying they felt physically unsafe on campus. The letter cited instances where Jewish and Israeli students were “assaulted and spit on,” forced to hide their kippahs, and concealed their Jewish identity due to fear of ostracism.
“The campus was wracked by demonstrations that flagrantly violated the University’s rules of conduct,” the letter said. “The demonstrations included calls for genocide and murder, and denied Jewish and Israeli students access to campus spaces.”
The report also criticized the “impermissible, multiweek encampment” on campus that “instilled fear in, and disrupted the studies of, Jewish and Israeli students.”
“Even worse,” the letter continued, “individuals who participated in the encampment received lax and inconsistent discipline — and as the discipline was reviewed by higher levels among the faculty, it was often downgraded. By the end of the process, even accounting only for the students that were charged, only a fraction received some sort of discipline, and none were suspended. A member of Harvard’s own leadership called the disciplinary process ‘not fair’ and ‘not right.’”
In response, a university spokesperson called antisemitism “unacceptable” and acknowledged it as a “serious problem,” but pushed back against the federal findings.
“Harvard is far from indifferent on this issue and strongly disagrees with the government’s findings,” the spokesman said. “Harvard has made significant strides to combat bigotry, hate and bias. We are not alone in confronting this challenge and recognize that this work is ongoing. We remain committed to ensuring members of our Jewish and Israeli community are embraced, respected, and can thrive at Harvard.”
