Harvard University sues Trump over threats to cut US$2.2 billion in federal funding

Harvard University sued US President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday in a sharp escalation of the fight between the prestigious university and the Republican, who has threatened its US$2.2 billion in funding and sought to impose outside political supervision.

Trump has sought to bring several prestigious universities to heel over claims they tolerated campus antisemitism, threatening their budgets, tax-exempt status and the enrolment of foreign students, but Harvard has refused to bow.

“This case involves the government’s efforts to use the withholding of federal funding as leverage to gain control of academic decision making at Harvard,” the Ivy League university said in a lawsuit filed in a Massachusetts federal court that named several other institutions targeted by Trump.

Trump and his White House team have publicly justified their campaign against universities as a reaction to what they say is uncontrolled “antisemitism” and a need to reverse diversity programmes aimed at addressing historical oppression of minorities.

In a letter to Harvard earlier this month, the Trump administration had called for broad government and leadership reforms at the university as well as changes to its admissions policies. It also demanded that the university audit views of diversity on campus, and stop recognising some student clubs.