A Trump administration investigation into the campus climate at Harvard University found Jewish and Israeli students were left feeling unsafe while school officials failed to intervene. A joint federal task force sent a letter to Harvard on Monday, June 30, saying that the Ivy League university violated federal civil rights law by failing to adequately protect students from discrimination.
The Trump administration is threatening to cut off all federal funding for Harvard if the university does not take prescriptive action.
“Harvard University is in violent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin,” the letter from the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism stated.
Federal officials issue formal violation notice to Harvard
On Monday, June 30, Harvard President Alan Garber received a letter from three federal agencies, including the Department of Justice and Education Department, accusing the university of fostering a legacy of discrimination and failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students. Enclosed with the letter was a formal Notice of Violation, a legal document that could lead to a federal lawsuit or prompt a resolution agreement between Harvard and the Trump administration.
Harvard and President Donald Trump’s administration have been locked in a weeks-long standoff over allegations of antisemitism at the university. The dispute escalated after the administration froze billions in federal grants and contracts, demanding the university allow government oversight of faculty hiring and student admissions. Harvard rejected the change and instead built a legal defense to fight against the administration.
Jewish students report harassment, assaults and fear on campus
The federal findings state that a majority of Jewish students surveyed said they experienced bias or discrimination on campus. About one in four said they felt physically unsafe at Harvard. Several students reported being assaulted or spat on. Some chose to hide their kippahs or conceal their Jewish identity altogether out of fear of harassment from their fellow students.
“The campus was vandalized with anti-Semitic stickers, including one that showed the Israeli flag with a swastika in place of the Star of David,” investigators said in the letter.
The report detailed weeks of unrest on campus in 2024. The Trump administration has alleged that demonstrators advocated for genocide during that unrest, but Harvard disputes those allegations. The Trump administration appears to be equating anti-zionism with calls for genocide or with antisemitism.
Investigators say the demonstrations violated university rules and made Jewish and Israeli students feel unwelcome and unsafe, cutting them off from shared spaces and disrupting daily life.
According to investigators, a prolonged encampment in Harvard Yard became the flashpoint. The protest sparked fear among students and derailed their academic routine, the task force said. Although the encampment broke university policy, few participants faced discipline.
More than 60 students were referred for disciplinary action related to the campus protest. In May 2024, the Harvard Crimson reported that the college suspended five students and placed more than 20 on probation.
Federal officials say Harvard didn’t dispute the facts laid out in the report, which accuses the university of failing to protect students equally and allowing a culture of identity politics to override civil rights protections. “Equal defense of the law demands that all groups are protected,” the notice read.
Internal Harvard report shows rising tensions since Oct. 7
Ahead of the federal government’s report, Harvard performed its own investigation into antisemitism. In April, the university released a 311-page internal report finding that campus tensions and bias against students with ties to the Middle East intensified following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Harvard’s findings suggest a significant shift from past campus norms, where Jewish and pro-Palestinian students frequently engaged in dialogue. In contrast, the 2023–24 academic year was described as one of the most challenging in recent memory for Jewish students, with some opting not to attend or work at Harvard due to concerns about the campus environment.
“Silence at the time from University leaders has conveyed to incoming students that such chanting is a welcome form of ‘discourse’ in our community and that it is acceptable to alienate or intimidate some community members,” the Harvard report read.
The university task force report called for reform and urged Harvard to uphold its commitment to pluralism, civil discourse and academic freedom. While acknowledging the diversity of views on Israel and Palestine, the task force warned that institutional silence or inconsistency in protecting students from bias posed long-term risks to the university’s mission.
What happens next?
Unless significant changes are made, the federal task force says the university could lose access to all federal funding. Investigators say this step is required by law to prevent taxpayer support for institutions that they say discriminate. Harvard could continue to operate without those resources, the report notes, but doing so would demand a renewed focus on civil rights and academic integrity.
The Trump administration previously froze more than $2 billion in federal funding to the university after Harvard said it would not agree to the government’s demands for “governance and leadership reforms.” In response, Harvard sued.
