Trump administration probe finds Harvard violated civil rights of Jewish students

The Trump administration on Monday said an investigation into Harvard University found the school had violated the federally protected civil rights of Jewish and Israeli students.

In a letter to university president Alan Garber, the civil rights office of the Department of Health and Human Services said Jewish students on campus were subjected to "severe, pervasive and objectively offensive harassment" following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

The investigation found what the Trump administration described as a "pattern of unlawful and unchecked discrimination" at the nation's oldest university.

These actions, coupled with Harvard's response, comprised a violation of the students' civil rights under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. 

The investigation concluded that Harvard's response to the alleged harassment was akin to "deliberate indifference," the civil rights office wrote. 

"Harvard's public pledges to improve its disciplinary framework for harassment and misconduct are inadequate to meaningfully address these serious findings," the office's director, Paula Stannard, said in a statement.

The examples of alleged civil rights violations uncovered by the probe include "targeted harassment" of Jewish students and "institutional acceptance of antisemitism."

The letter also claimed that Harvard's response to earlier notification that the Office for Civil Rights had launched an investigation was, "too little, too late."

The letter said that "absent voluntary compliance" from Harvard, the civil rights office would refer the school to the Department of Justice, which could file a federal civil suit against the university. 

In response to the letter, Harvard said that it has taken "substantive, proactive steps" to address antisemitism on the campus.

"Harvard is far from indifferent on this issue and strongly disagrees with the government's findings," the school said in a statement to CNBC.

"Harvard has made significant strides to combat bigotry, hate and bias. We are not alone in confronting this challenge and recognize that this work is ongoing."

The findings of the investigation are the latest in a series of escalating legal and policy confrontations between the Trump administration and Harvard, the nation's wealthiest university. 

In May, the administration announced it was terminating the remainder of its federal grants to the university. This final cut came on top of a grant freeze the month before that had amounted to more than $2 billion.

Harvard is just one of several elite universities targeted by the Trump administration for alleged violations of students' civil rights. In May, HHS issued a similar notice of violation to Columbia University.

Harvard has engaged in limited negotiations with the Trump administration, but paused them after the White House demanded federal supervision over the school's admissions and personnel decisions. 

President Donald Trump claimed earlier this month that the administration had been "working closely with Harvard, and it is very possible that a Deal will be announced over the next week or so." 

Trump said the college had "acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right. If a Settlement is made on the basis that is currently being discussed, it will be 'mindbogglingly' HISTORIC, and very good for our Country," he posted on social media June 20.

At the time, Harvard declined to comment on the president's post.