House Committee Opens Investigation Into ‘Harvard’s Disregard’ For Civil Rights, Letter Says

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform sent a letter to Harvard University Thursday announcing an investigation into the school’s alleged noncompliance with civil rights laws after it rejected the Trump administration’s demands to address antisemitism on campus.

Committee Chairman James Comer and House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik are asking the university to submit documents relating to antisemitic events and the disciplinary actions the university enforced as well as any communications and policies relating to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, including any race-based hiring initiatives, according to the letter. The lawmakers plan to investigate what they allege was “Harvard’s disregard for Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” the letter says.

“The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is conducting oversight of Harvard University’s (Harvard) lack of compliance with civil rights laws despite receiving more than half a billion dollars in federal funds annually,” the letter reads. “Harvard’s potentially improper use of federal funds requires this oversight.”

The Trump administration on April 11 demanded Harvard agree to a list of reforms to the way it handles reports of antisemitic discrimination on campus after a September congressional investigation found that “Harvard failed” to enforce meaningful punishment on nearly 70 students who were involved in a multi-day anti-Israel encampment during the previous spring semester. The changes asked of the school included reforming and better enforcing disciplinary processes for students who participate in antisemitic protests, improving screening of international students for “hostile” views towards America and auditing “programs with egregious records of antisemitism.”