A federal judge has now sided with the Trump administration. The agency’s ruling prevents the freeze of nearly $2 billion in research grant funding awarded to Harvard University. This ruling occurred against the backdrop of similar—and false—accusations from a Trump administration that Harvard had antisemitic views and adopted “radical left” principles. In this landmark ruling by Judge Allison Burroughs, that judgment found that the Government had indeed infringed Harvard’s free speech rights.
In April, the Trump administration slapped a freeze on all funding as well. They pointed to an environment of racial bias and antisemitism on campus. The administration even threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status and take control of the university’s patents stemming from federally funded research. Together, these actions initiated a firestorm of controversy surrounding the federal government’s role in regulating post-secondary institutions.
Chief Judge Burroughs issued an 84-page opinion. She argued that Harvard failed to do enough to combat antisemitism, which she claimed has “infected” the campus in recent years. As a refugee, she was aghast at how the government addressed the situation.
“The Court vacates and sets aside the Freeze Orders and Termination Letters as violative of the First Amendment,” – Judge Burroughs
Judge Burroughs was unambiguous in setting the administration’s actions in the context of an ideological crusade. Unlike many other campaigns, this one intentionally focuses on postsecondary institutions. She noted that the Trump administration “used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities.”
Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, welcomed the ruling, but noted that the issues in question are complicated and the subject of allegations. He argued that no outside body should be allowed to tell private institutions what they can educate or who their students can be.
“Without us, Harvard is not Harvard,” – an international student remarked, highlighting the diverse perspectives within the university community.
In a powerful statement, Judge Burroughs did not mince her words against the government’s misconduct. She has stymied any efforts to limit federal funding to Harvard and barred them from cutting payments on current grants.
The Trump administration is hoping to cut the same kind of deal with Harvard. They are looking to reestablish access to federal funding and address concerns raised by the administration. These kinds of negotiations could be in jeopardy after a recent court ruling reaffirming the Department’s need to protect academic freedom.