Harvard University Expands Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over Funding Cuts
BOSTON – Harvard University has broadened its legal challenge against the Trump administration in response to additional terminations of federal grants totaling $450 million, following the earlier loss of $2.2 billion. The university filed an amended complaint in federal court after a federal antisemitism task force disclosed that eight agencies, including the Departments of Education and Defense, would halt funding, citing failures in addressing “pervasive race discrimination and anti-Semitic harassment” on campus.
Harvard’s lawsuit, initially filed on April 22, disputes the legality of these funding freezes, arguing that the government’s demands infringe upon First Amendment rights and are excessively broad, lacking any rational connection to the allegations made against the university. "The Government has not identified – and cannot identify – any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen or terminated," the lawsuit states.
The university is seeking a ruling from U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs to declare the administration’s actions unlawful and to prevent further grant terminations. This legal move comes as Trump has ramped up criticism of Harvard, linking its pro-Palestinian protests, ignited by the Israel-Hamas conflict, to antisemitism. The university contends this conflation threatens academic freedom and hinders efforts to maintain a safe environment for Jewish students.
With an endowment exceeding $53 billion, the largest of any U.S. university, Harvard emphasizes that its funding is restricted for various essential services, including financial aid. The case’s arguments are scheduled for a hearing on July 21, as Harvard seeks to defend its rights against what it considers politically motivated actions from the administration.
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