Trump administration sues Harvard University over alleged antisemitism after months of stalled negotiations

WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration on Friday sued Harvard University over alleged antisemitism, marking an escalation from the federal government after months of stalled negotiations between the two sides.

The complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, accused the Ivy League university of violating the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli people and turning "a blind eye" to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis.

Jewish and Israeli students were subjected to severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive harassment on the ground of their race or national origin, and they were excluded from participation in and denied the benefits of a Harvard education because of their race, ethnicity, or national origin, the complaint alleged.

The complaint also contended that Harvard had actual knowledge of and was "deliberately indifferent" to the harassment and exclusion of Jewish and Israeli students, and that it "intentionally" discriminated against Jews and Israelis.

Since January 2025, the US administration has issued threats to several US universities, warning them of potential funding cuts if they fail to adjust their policies. The main demands included eliminating what was described as antisemitism on campus and dismantling diversity initiatives that favor certain minority groups.

In April 2025, after Harvard rejected the US administration's demands, the administration announced it would freeze 2.2 billion US dollars in multiyear grants and 60 million dollars in multiyear contract funds for the university.

In February, US President Donald Trump announced that his administration was seeking 1 billion dollars in damages from Harvard University.