Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration following a $2.2 billion freeze in federal research funding imposed by President Trump. The Trump administration alleged that Harvard jeopardized federal funding by failing to comply with federal law. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration expects “all colleges and universities who are receiving taxpayer funds to abide by federal law.”
The lawsuit came in response to the administration’s announcement of these cuts, accusing the university of creating a “hostile learning environment” for Jewish students. The university argues that these measures, including the administration’s decision to impose restrictions on the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, overstep federal authority and subvert constitutional principles.
Harvard also claims that the Trump administration is attempting to coerce university personnel and students, disregarding the First Amendment. The university alleged that Trump’s executive branch failed to abide by federal law when making key changes to government policies. The lawsuit mentions that the Trump administration is in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which requires the Court to “hold unlawful and set aside any final agency that is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion.”
The university argues that suspension of federal medical and scientific research funds is unrelated to combating antisemitism and has disrupted ongoing clinical research on campus. Dr. Donald Ingber, who leads scientific research on building devices that replicate organ function, uses these devices “to study how the human lung, intestine, bone marrow and lymph nodes respond to radiation” to identify drugs that can mitigate its effects. However, following the federal fund freeze, he received a stop-work order on three federal contracts, stating that his lab is now in “damage assessment phase.”
Harvard has hired two attorneys with Republican ties to support its lawsuit. One of whom is William Burck, who served as a special counsel to former President George W. Bush. The other is Robert Hur, who was appointed special counsel to investigate former President Joe Biden.
Harvard University emphasizes the protection of academic autonomy and First Amendment rights, arguing that the Trump administration has violated procedural fairness by issuing directives based on discrimination concerns.
