Harvard says it won’t abandon 鈥榗ore鈥 principles to meet Department of Education demands
BOSTON (AP) 鈥 Harvard University responded Monday to recent threats from the Education Department to halt its grant funding, highlighting reforms it was undertaking but warning it won’t budge on 鈥渋ts core, legally-protected principles鈥 over fears of retaliation.
By Michael Casey And Collin Binkley The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) 鈥 Harvard University responded Monday to recent threats from the Education Department to halt its grant funding, highlighting reforms it was undertaking but warning it won’t budge on 鈥渋ts core, legally-protected principles鈥 over fears of retaliation.
A letter from Harvard President Alan Garber detailed how the institution had made significant changes to its leadership and governance over the past year and a half. Among the reforms, Garber said, was a broad 鈥渟trategy to combat antisemitism and other bigotry.鈥
Last week, the Department of Education threatened a grant freeze in a major escalation of Trump鈥檚 . The administration previously froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard, and Trump is pushing to of its tax-exempt status.
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Garber warned that its efforts to change were being 鈥渦ndermined and threatened by the federal government鈥檚 overreach into the constitutional freedoms of private universities and its continuing disregard of Harvard鈥檚 compliance with the law.鈥
鈥淐onsistent with the law and with our own values, we continue to pursue needed reforms, doing so in consultation with our stakeholders and always in compliance with the law,鈥 Garber wrote. 鈥淏ut Harvard will not surrender its core, legally-protected principles out of fear of unfounded retaliation by the federal government.鈥
An Education Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In call with reporters last week, a Department of Education official accused Harvard of 鈥渟erious failures.鈥 The person, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said Harvard has allowed antisemitism and racial discrimination to perpetuate, it has abandoned rigorous academic standards, and it has failed to allow a range of views on its campus.
To become eligible for new grants, Harvard would need to enter negotiations with the federal government and prove it has satisfied the administration鈥檚 requirements.
The demands come amid a pressure campaign targeting several other high-profile universities. The administration has cut off money to colleges including , the and , seeking compliance with Trump鈥檚 agenda.
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The White House says it鈥檚 targeting campus antisemitism after pro-Palestinian protests swept U.S. college campuses last year. It鈥檚 also focused on the participation of transgender athletes in women鈥檚 sports. And the attacks on Harvard increasingly have called out the university鈥檚 diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, along with questions about freedom of speech and thought by conservatives on campus.
Harvard has filed a federal lawsuit over the administration鈥檚 demands, setting up a in Trump鈥檚 attempt to that he says have become hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism.
In his letter Monday, Garber also attempted to rebut many of the allegations made by the Education Department. He insisted admission to Harvard was based on 鈥渁cademic excellence and promise鈥 and there were no 鈥渜uotas, whether based on race or ethnicity or any other characteristic鈥 or an 鈥渋deological litmus tests鈥 when it comes to hiring.
Garber also dismissed the suggestion that Harvard was a partisan institution and said he wasn鈥檛 aware of any evidence suggesting international students were 鈥渕ore prone to disruption, violence, or other misconduct than any other students.鈥
___ Collin Binkley has covered for nearly a decade 鈥 most of the time living half a mile from campus.
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