Harvard University is suing the Trump administration for violating its free speech rights by freezing federal funding to punish it for its refusal to take action against students for their beliefs.
U.S. officials said last week they would withhold $2.2 billion in research grants and contracts after Harvard defied their demands to crack down on student protests and screen international applicants for their opinions about Palestine.
The administration has claimed that Harvard is breaking U.S. civil rights laws by failure to combat antisemitism, commanding it to immediately end all DEI programs while also, in effect, implementing affirmative action for conservatives.
But Harvard's lawyers on Monday asked the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts to block the freeze and bar the federal government from further attempts to dictate Harvard’s actions against particular students the administration doesn’t agree with..
"Defendants' actions threaten Harvard’s academic independence and place at risk critical lifesaving and pathbreaking research that occurs on its campus, and they are part of a broader effort by the Government to punish Harvard for protecting its constitutional rights," reads the university’s complaint.
"The government has not — and cannot — identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America's position as a global leader in innovation,” it added.
The lawsuit targets numerous federal appointees and agencies including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, and their respective agencies.
It comes after furious Trump officials reportedly threatened to revoke an additional $1 billion in federal funding because the school had dared publish the administration’s latest list of demands.
Later reports suggested that the second letter was actually sent by "mistake," triggering a "frantic" phone call to Harvard from someone inside the administration.
The White House is now standing by the letter of demands.
