The US Education Department launches two new civil rights investigations into Harvard University, focusing on admissions and antisemitism allegations.
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has launched two new civil rights investigations into Harvard University. The US Education Department announced the probes on Monday, alleging the university continues to discriminate based on race, colour, and national origin.
One investigation will examine whether Harvard uses race-based preferences in admissions. This follows the US Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that ended affirmative action in higher education.
The second probe will focus on allegations of antisemitism on Harvard’s campus. The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new actions.
Harvard has previously condemned all forms of discrimination and said it aims to combat bigotry. Task forces at the university released reports last year detailing bigotry and abuse faced by Jewish and Muslim students.
The university has also characterised the administration’s actions as retaliation. It previously stated the actions amount to retaliation “for refusing to turn over control of Harvard to the federal government.”
A resolution to the administration’s ongoing probes against Harvard remains elusive. Last week, the administration sued Harvard to recover billions of dollars over allegedly failing to protect Jewish students.
A separate lawsuit was filed in February accusing Harvard of failing to comply with a federal investigation. That suit also sought documents to determine if the university considered race in admissions.
Education advocates have urged universities to resist government efforts to collect more admissions data. They argue such efforts could lead to privacy violations and have been described as “a tool for anti-civil rights enforcement.”
President Donald Trump has attempted to crack down on universities over various issues. These include pro-Palestinian protests, transgender policies, climate programs and diversity initiatives.
These efforts have raised concerns about chilling academic freedom, free speech and due process. Attempts to freeze federal funds have faced significant legal and judicial roadblocks.
Trump has particularly cast pro-Palestinian protests as antisemitic. He has alleged that universities, including Harvard, have allowed antisemitism on campus.
Protesters, including some Jewish groups, dispute this characterisation. They argue criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza is wrongly conflated with antisemitism.
The administration has reached settlements with other universities under investigation. Columbia University agreed last year to pay over USD 200 million to the government.
Academic experts have raised alarm over parts of those agreements. They argue the settlements set a precedent for “pay-to-play” deals that compromise institutional independence.
The administration has not initiated equivalent probes into allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian bias. This has led to further criticism regarding the scope and focus of its investigations.