Harvard promises to address antisemitism after rejecting Trump admin’s demands

Harvard University President Alan Garber on Tuesday promised to address antisemitism after internal investigations revealed a hostile campus climate.

Garber said the university is “reviewing recommendations concerning admissions, appointments, curriculum, and orientation and training programs” following the publication of findings from a university task force on “combating antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias.” Just weeks earlier, the university declined to comply with the Trump administration’s demands to address antisemitism, a decision that lost the school billions of dollars from several federal agencies and landed it in the spotlight of a congressional investigation.

“The 2023-24 academic year was disappointing and painful. I am sorry for the moments when we failed to meet the high expectations we rightfully set for our community,” The university president’s message reads. “The grave, extensive impact of the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel and its aftermath had serious repercussions on our campus.”

The 311-page antisemitism report found that more than a quarter of Jewish students felt “physically unsafe” on campus and “Almost 60% of Jewish students reported experiencing ‘discrimination, stereotyping, or negative bias.’” It also stated “Certain Harvard Schools, departments, institutes, centers, and instructors were described [by Jewish students and staff] as promoting or tolerating anti-Israeli critiques that blend into animosity towards Jews.”

Harvard also published a separate report on anti-Muslim bias which found that “Advocates for Palestinian rights expressed feeling increasingly marginalized” and students experienced “doxxing, physical assaults, and online harassment.”

“Harvard cannot—and will not—abide bigotry,” Garber wrote. “We will continue to provide for the safety and security of all members of our community and safeguard their freedom from harassment. We will redouble our efforts to ensure that the University is a place where ideas are welcomed, entertained, and contested in the spirit of seeking truth; where argument proceeds without sacrificing dignity; and where mutual respect is the norm.”

Harvard did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

The Department of Education (ED) sent a letter to the Ivy League school April 11 demanding the school agree to a host of reforms, including adjusting and enforcing disciplinary processes, improving screening of international students for “hostile” views and auditing “programs with egregious records of antisemitism.” Harvard responded that it “will not surrender,” citing academic freedom concerns and free speech rights.

The Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, made up of ED, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) immediately revoked over $2 billion in grants to the school following the announcement.

A September 2024 congressional investigation found “Harvard failed” to enforce meaningful punishment on nearly 70 students who were involved in a multi-day pro-Hamas encampment during the previous spring semester. Demonstrators at the Ivy League institution also disrupted classes and occupied a campus building.

Other universities, such as Columbia, ceded much quicker to the administration’s demands after being met with funding cuts.

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