Trump administration sues Harvard over anti-Israel protests

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration filed a lawsuit Friday (Mar 20) against Harvard University, accusing the institution of allowing a “hostile environment” toward Jewish and Israeli students during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus from 2023 to 2025.

US President Donald Trump has launched an offensive against major American universities, accusing them of giving free rein on their campuses to pro-Palestinian movements in the face of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, action which he equates with antisemitism.

In February, the Department of Justice filed a similar lawsuit against the University of California, Los Angeles.

In its new complaint, the DOJ said Harvard “faculty and leadership turned a blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis,” accusing the university of failing to enforce its own rules against pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli protesters.

“Harvard let anti-Israeli demonstrators occupy its libraries. Harvard allowed an anti-Israeli encampment to persist for twenty days in violation of university policy,” said the lawsuit, filed in a Massachusetts court.

“Harvard fostered and continues to foster a campus climate where hostile antisemitism and anti-Israeli conduct thrives,” it said.

In a statement responding to the lawsuit, Harvard said it “cares deeply about members of our Jewish and Israeli community and remains committed to ensuring they are embraced, respected, and can thrive on our campus.”

The university said it had taken “substantive, proactive” steps to address the root causes of antisemitism and had “enhanced training and education on antisemitism for students, faculty, and staff.”