Harvard Says It Will Not Comply With Trump Administration's Demands

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Mon Apr 14, 2025, 05:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: New York Times

April 14, 2025 Updated 5:27 p.m. ET


Harvard University said on Monday that it had rejected policy changes requested by the Trump administration, becoming the first university to directly refuse to comply with the administration's demands and setting up a showdown between the federal government and the nation's wealthiest university.

Other universities have pushed back against the Trump administration's interference in higher education. But Harvard's response, which essentially called the Trump administration's demands illegal, marked a major shift in tone for the nation's most influential school, which has been criticized in recent weeks for capitulating to Trump administration pressure.

A letter the Trump administration sent to Harvard on Friday demanded that the university reduce the power of students and faculty members over the university's affairs; report foreign students who commit conduct violations immediately to federal authorities; and bring in an outside party to ensure that each academic department is "viewpoint diverse," among other steps. The administration did not define what it meant by viewpoint diversity, but it has generally referred to seeking a range of political views, including conservative perspectives.

"No government -- regardless of which party is in power -- should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue," said Alan Garber, Harvard's president, in a statement to the university on Monday.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/us/harvard-trump-reject-demands.html

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No paywall (gift)

Article updated.

Original article -

April 14, 2025, 2:14 p.m. ET


Harvard University said on Monday that it had rejected policy changes requested by the Trump administration that would have placed "unprecedented" demands on the institution, setting up a showdown between the administration and the nation's wealthiest university.

A letter to Harvard from the Trump administration on Friday demanded that the university reduce the power of students and faculty members over the university's affairs; report foreign students who commit conduct violations immediately to federal authorities; and bring in an outside party to ensure that each academic department is "viewpoint diverse," among other steps.

"No government -- regardless of which party is in power -- should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue," said Alan Garber, Harvard's president, in a statement to the university on Monday.

Lawyers for Harvard said in response to the administration's letter that the university "is not prepared to agree to demands that go beyond the lawful authority of this or any administration."

[Jim__]

1. Good for Harvard!

[Native]

2. See how easy that was to do?

[24601]

3. When your endowment is $53 Billion, you can easily turn down $9 Billion from federal contracts

https://www.harvard.edu/about/endowment/

[Shipwack]

22. Not as useful as everyone thinks...

When an endowment is granted, it's usually for a stated purpose i.e. cancer research, a new library wing, etc. The university can't spend it on any thing they want.

[VMA131Marine]

24. Columbia could very easily have filed suit

and got an injunction to prevent Trump from stripping it of Federal funds on First Amendment grounds. Trump is so far out on a limb with this there is no cogent defense they can present.

[krkaufman]

32. I don't think "cogent defense" is their concern...

… as much as having the Judiciary stacked in their favor. I wouldn’t say the current SCOTUS lineup is known for reasoned arguments.

[sop]

4. Every university should follow Harvard's example.

[Demovictory9]

8. Stanford, yale, princeton can afford to stand up too

[FloridaBlues]

5. Every University needs to stand together! Follow Harvard lead.

[RockCreek]

6. Copy of legal letter sent by Harvard's lawyers to admin (link to this letter was in an email sent to me as an alum)

April 14, 2025 VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL Josh Gruenbaum Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service General Services Administration
Sean R. Keveney Acting General Counsel U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Thomas E. Wheeler Acting General Counsel U.S. Department of Education

Dear Messrs. Gruenbaum, Keveney, and Wheeler: We represent Harvard University. We are writing in response to your letter dated April 11, 2025, addressed to Dr. Alan Garber, Harvard’s President, and Penny Pritzker, Senior Fellow of the Harvard Corporation. Harvard is committed to fighting antisemitism and other forms of bigotry in its community. Antisemitism and discrimination of any kind not only are abhorrent and antithetical to Harvard’s values but also threaten its academic mission. To that end, Harvard has made, and will continue to make, lasting and robust structural, policy, and programmatic changes to ensure that the university is a welcoming and supportive learning environment for all students and continues to abide in all respects with federal law across its academic programs and operations, while fostering open inquiry in a pluralistic community free from intimidation and open to challenging orthodoxies, whatever their source. Over the past 15 months, Harvard has undertaken substantial policy and programmatic measures. It has made changes to its campus use policies; adopted new accountability procedures; imposed meaningful discipline for those who violate university policies; enhanced programs designed to address bias and promote ideological diversity and civil discourse; hired staff to support these programs and support students; changed partnerships; dedicated resources to combat hate and bias; and enhanced safety and security measures. As a result, Harvard is in a very different place today from where it was a year ago. These efforts, and additional measures the university will be taking against antisemitism, not only are the right thing to do but also are critical to strengthening Harvard’s community as a place in which everyone can thrive. It is unfortunate, then, that your letter disregards Harvard’s efforts and instead presents demands that, in contravention of the First Amendment, invade university freedoms long recognized by the Supreme Court. The government’s terms also circumvent Harvard’s statutory rights by requiring unsupported and disruptive remedies for alleged harms that the government has not proven through mandatory processes established by Congress and required by law. No less objectionable is the condition, first made explicit in the letter of March 31, 2025, that Harvard accede to these terms or risk the loss of billions of dollars in federal funding critical to vital research and innovation that has saved and improved lives and allowed Harvard to play a central role in making our country’s scientific, medical, and other research communities the standard-bearers for the world. These demands extend not only to Harvard but to separately incorporated and independently operated medical and research hospitals engaging in life-saving work on behalf of their patients. The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government. Accordingly, Harvard will not accept the government’s terms as an agreement in principle. Harvard remains open to dialogue about what the university has done, and is planning to do, to improve the experience of every member of its community. But Harvard is not prepared to agree to demands that go beyond the lawful authority of this or any administration.

William A. Burck
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP 1300 I Street NW Suite 900 Washington, DC 20005

Robert K. Hur King & Spalding LLP 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 900 Washington, DC 20006

[malaise]

7. PHEW

Rec

[Iamscrewed]

9. Real patriotism

BROVO!

[Buddyzbuddy]

10. Keep pushing back.

[BlueKota]

11. Nice job Harvard!

[hamsterjill]

12. Awesome!!!

Now, if they will please stick to their guns and not back down. Someone has to!

[AllaN01Bear]

13. ding.

[pfitz59]

14. Make it a class action

invite other universities to join.

[Magoo48]

15. I would love to see our UC system join Harvard.

[OldBaldy1701E]

16. Yay Harvard! (n/t)

[MichMan]

17. Good, tell the Feds that they can keep all their $$$

That is what Hillsdale College did in the 80's. Sometimes principle is way more important than money.

[LymphocyteLover]

18. EXCELLENT NEWS... I needed this

[whathehell]

19. Good!

[Paladin]

20. Oh, fuck YEAH, Harvard!

A thousand thanks for this crucial, way-overdue response to trump and his thugs!

Let's see more of this principled courage from our educational establishment---whether it's Harvard or the local junior college. Wimping out is no longer an option.

[MaineNative]

21. Zing!

[William769]

23. Good for them.

[twodogsbarking]

25. The middle finger response.

[leftyladyfrommo]

26. He's up against old money at Harvard.

Have you noticed that Trump doesn't seem to get invited to the Old Money tadoos? He is not welcome anywhere.

He can only go to Marilago. And he's the king overseeing his kingdom.

[Martin68]

28. It's not just old money, That's a cynical view. Harvard is an institution that represents academic freedom,

freedom of thought and expression, and truth. It represents everything Trump seeks to destroy, along with the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institution, and other bastions of freedom of expression, history, and scientific inquiry.

[GenThePerservering]

29. Harvard has expanded financial help

to more middle class families, as well as poorer students.

They are a prestigous university who is a major force in science and research.

No "tadoo".

[leftyladyfrommo]

35. I didn't mean that the way you took it.

I eant you don't see any of the old money people inviting Trump to any of their social galas an important events.

[Martin68]

27. That is good news. No academic institution should give in to his ideological demands.

If they do, they have lost all credibility.

[GenThePerservering]

30. Columbia can suck it

for their weak whining and caving in.

[Bayard]

31. So, now what can he do to them?

Lawrence was awesome on this topic tonight, btw.

[SunSeeker]

33. A good read - Harvard President's letter to students, staff and alumni regarding Trump demands:

The Promise of American Higher Education

Dear Members of the Harvard Community,
 
For three-quarters of a century, the federal government has awarded grants and contracts to Harvard and other universities to help pay for work that, along with investments by the universities themselves, has led to groundbreaking innovations across a wide range of medical, engineering, and scientific fields. These innovations have made countless people in our country and throughout the world healthier and safer. In recent weeks, the federal government has threatened its partnerships with several universities, including Harvard, over accusations of antisemitism on our campuses. These partnerships are among the most productive and beneficial in American history. New frontiers beckon us with the prospect of life-changing advances—from treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and diabetes, to breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, quantum science and engineering, and numerous other areas of possibility. For the government to retreat from these partnerships now risks not only the health and well-being of millions of individuals but also the economic security and vitality of our nation.
 
Late Friday night, the administration issued an updated and expanded list of demands, warning that Harvard must comply if we intend to “maintain [our] financial relationship with the federal government.” It makes clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner. Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the “intellectual conditions” at Harvard.
 
I encourage you to read the letter to gain a fuller understanding of the unprecedented demands being made by the federal government to control the Harvard community. They include requirements to “audit” the viewpoints of our student body, faculty, staff, and to “reduc[e] the power” of certain students, faculty, and administrators targeted because of their ideological views. We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement. The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.
 
The administration’s prescription goes beyond the power of the federal government. It violates Harvard’s First Amendment rights and exceeds the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI. And it threatens our values as a private institution devoted to the pursuit, production, and dissemination of knowledge. No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.
 
Our motto—Veritas, or truth—guides us as we navigate the challenging path ahead. Seeking truth is a journey without end. It requires us to be open to new information and different perspectives, to subject our beliefs to ongoing scrutiny, and to be ready to change our minds. It compels us to take up the difficult work of acknowledging our flaws so that we might realize the full promise of the University, especially when that promise is threatened.
 
We have made it abundantly clear that we do not take lightly our moral duty to fight antisemitism. Over the past fifteen months, we have taken many steps to address antisemitism on our campus. We plan to do much more. As we defend Harvard, we will continue to: 

●nurture a thriving culture of open inquiry on our campus; develop the tools, skills, and practices needed to engage constructively with one another; and broaden the intellectual and viewpoint diversity within our community; 
●affirm the rights and responsibilities we share; respect free speech and dissent while also ensuring that protest occurs in a time, place, and manner that does not interfere with teaching, learning, and research; and enhance the consistency and fairness of disciplinary processes; and 
●work together to find ways, consistent with law, to foster and support a vibrant community that exemplifies, respects, and embraces difference. As we do, we will also continue to comply with Students For Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ruled that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act makes it unlawful for universities to make decisions “on the basis of race.” 

These ends will not be achieved by assertions of power, unmoored from the law, to control teaching and learning at Harvard and to dictate how we operate. The work of addressing our shortcomings, fulfilling our commitments, and embodying our values is ours to define and undertake as a community. Freedom of thought and inquiry, along with the government’s longstanding commitment to respect and protect it, has enabled universities to contribute in vital ways to a free society and to healthier, more prosperous lives for people everywhere. All of us share a stake in safeguarding that freedom. We proceed now, as always, with the conviction that the fearless and unfettered pursuit of truth liberates humanity—and with faith in the enduring promise that America’s colleges and universities hold for our country and our world.
 
Sincerely,
Alan M. Garber

Published on April 14, 2025

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https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2025/the-promise-of-american-higher-education/

[BumRushDaShow]

34. Interestingly enough

the obvious truth of their argument was similar to Apple's response to the extortion threats AND Costco's response to the same.

Both companies still stand and there are legal challenges from a handful of big law firms who refuse to cower to the threats by ceding their Constitutional rights to a tyrant, just because he ignores the Constitution entirely.

[Beowulf42]

36. At last a Sanctuary University. More the power, Harvard.

[electric_blue68]

37. Lawrence gave an impassioned defense of Harvard last jight!

[k_buddy762]

38. Stand fast!