Harvard University sued the Trump administration on Monday after the federal government canceled billions of dollars in funding for the Ivy League school.
The lawsuit marks a significant — though expected — escalation in the battle between Harvard and President Trump after the nation’s oldest university rejected administration demands to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and change its admission and hiring practices, among other things.
In response, the Trump administration froze billions of dollars in funding, threatened the school’s tax-exemption status and said it could take away its ability to admit international students.
“Moments ago, we filed a lawsuit to halt the funding freeze because it is unlawful and beyond the government’s authority,” Harvard President Alan Garber said Monday.
The lawsuit accuses the administration of violating the First Amendment and asks a district judge in Massachusetts to stop any future harm from the federal government, declare the Trump’s administrations demands unconstitutional and reinstitute the university’s funding.
“The Government wielded the threat of withholding federal funds in an attempt to coerce Harvard to conform with the Government’s preferred mix of viewpoints and ideologies,” it says.
The lawsuit mentions Trump funding pauses at other colleges, saying in all such cases it has been unclear to schools why or when funding was taken away.
“To date, the Government has — with little warning and even less explanation — slashed billions of dollars in federal funding to universities across America, including Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern,” the lawsuit reads.
While the Trump administration says the fight against Harvard is due to alleged inaction on antisemitism, the school argues that while it is working to combat the issue on campus, the demands of itself and other institutions have gone far past that.
“All told, the tradeoff put to Harvard and other universities is clear: Allow the Government to micromanage your academic institution or jeopardize the institution’s ability to pursue medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries, and innovative solutions,” the lawsuit said.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for a response.
“Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should not longer receive Federal Funds,” Trump wrote on social media last week.
He slammed the school’s leaders, saying they have “ridiculously high salaries” and are some of the “WORST and MOST INCOMPETENT” around.
“Leftist dopes,” the president said, “are teaching at Harvard, and because of that, Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World’s Great Universities or Colleges.”
In his message to the Harvard community, Garber outlined potential “severe and long-lasting” consequences from the funding cuts.
“Research that the government has put in jeopardy includes efforts to improve the prospects of children who survive cancer, to understand at the molecular level how cancer spreads throughout the body, to predict the spread of infectious disease outbreaks, and to ease the pain of soldiers wounded on the battlefield. As opportunities to reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease are on the horizon, the government is slamming on the brakes,” he said.
“The victims will be future patients and their loved ones who will suffer the heartbreak of illnesses that might have been prevented or treated more effectively,” Garber added.
The lawsuit will likely be welcomed by other universities who wanted to see Harvard take on the Trump administration due to its high wealth and influence.
—Updated at 5:54 p.m. EDT
