Harvard may now face litigation from the Justice Department for alleged antisemitic harassment. After concluding that Harvard would not voluntarily comply with civil-rights law, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Wednesday referred its investigation to the Justice Department, according to a letter sent to Harvard president Alan Garber.
On June 30, the Office of Civil Rights at HHS found Harvard in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs. Both before and after that finding, the government engaged in “extensive communications with Harvard about the steps needed to address antisemitism on its campus,” according to today’s letter.
“Rather than voluntarily comply with its obligations under Title VI, Harvard has chosen scorched-earth litigation against the Federal government,” wrote Paula M. Stannard, the director of the HHS Office of Civil Rights. “The parties’ several months’ engagement has been fruitless.”
An HHS official told The Free Press that since the matter is now also in the Justice Department’s hands, a court could order penalties beyond the suspension of future funds. These could include a “consent decree or injunction” that would force Harvard to enforce its own policies on discrimination, harassment, and protest.
