US launches more probes into Harvard for using race-based preferences in admissions |
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said on Monday it launched two additional probes against Harvard University in its latest escalation against the Ivy League school and other top US universities.
The US Education Department said its civil rights office “opened two new investigations into Harvard University amid allegations that it continues to discriminate against students on the basis of race, color, and national origin” in violation of federal law.
The latest probes will look into whether Harvard uses race-based preferences in admissions after the US Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that ended affirmative action in higher education, and into allegations of antisemitism on Harvard’s campus, the Education Department said in a statement.
US President Donald Trump has attempted to crack down on universities and freeze their federal funds over pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, transgender policies, climate programs and diversity initiatives, leading to concerns over academic freedom, free speech and due process.
Efforts to freeze federal funds have faced legal and judicial roadblocks.
Last week, the administration sued Harvard to recover billions of dollars over allegedly failing to protect Jewish students, saying its leadership did not address antisemitism on campus, creating grounds for the government to freeze existing grants and seek repayment for grants already paid.
In the complaint, the US Justice Department accused Harvard of remaining deliberately indifferent to hostility on its........