Former President Donald Trump has declared his intention to pursue a $1 billion lawsuit against Harvard University, marking a significant escalation in his ongoing dispute with the institution. This announcement, made via Truth Social, follows contentious negotiations between Trump’s administration and the university.
The recent lawsuit comes after the New York Times reported on the administration’s retraction of a previous demand for $200 million from Harvard during discussions on potential funding agreements. In Trump's statement, he accused the university of 'feeding a lot of nonsense' to the news outlet.
Trump's accusations against Harvard also stem from claims that the university failed to adequately address antisemitism in the context of pro-Palestinian protests. Harvard has categorically denied these allegations.
The lawsuit aligns with the Trump administration's broader campaign against what they describe as 'woke' ideologies creeping into American education. Historically, Harvard has been one of the primary targets in this ongoing battle.
Last April, Trump’s administration had previously revoked approximately $2 billion in research funding to Harvard, leading the university to file a lawsuit against the government. Harvard argued that no administration should dictate the academic governance of private educational institutions. A subsequent federal court ruling reversed the funding cuts, stating that the government violated the university's free speech rights.
In another critical moment, Trump expressed his disdain for Harvard's policies, stating, 'We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University.' He further accused them of engaging in 'serious and heinous illegalities' without specifying the nature of these alleged violations.
Moreover, previous discussions indicated that the government was negotiating with Harvard to unfreeze federal funding. However, following Trump's lawsuit announcement, it appears that these conversations have ended, with Trump explicitly stating his desire to disengage from future dealings with the university.
In past encounters, Trump has threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status and has brought up the possibility of seizing control of the university’s patents linked to federally funded research. Meanwhile, other Ivy League schools, including Columbia, Penn, and Brown, managed to strike agreements with Trump's administration to protect their funding amidst similar claims, opting to negotiate rather than face a legal battle.
