Harvard Battles Trump-Era Funding Cuts In Court Over Alleged Political Retaliation

Harvard University appeared in a US federal court on Monday (21 July) in a closely watched legal fight against the Trump administration over the abrupt termination of $2.6 billion in research funding.

AP reported that the university argues the move was an unlawful act of political retaliation, rooted in ideological clashes and pressure to comply with sweeping demands from a federal antisemitism task force.

At the hearing before District Judge Allison Burroughs, Harvard’s counsel Steven Lehotsky asserted the case “is about the government’s conduct toward Harvard,” not the university’s own behaviour.

He warned that unless the funding is reinstated, it could force the closure of research labs, derail academic careers and jeopardise long-term projects in vital fields such as cancer and cardiovascular research.

The Trump administration has accused Harvard of tolerating antisemitism, particularly after the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, citing campus protests and alleged incidents of harassment.

Government attorney Michael Velchik, himself a Harvard alumnus, defended the cuts, saying, “The government is pro-Jewish students at Harvard. The government is pro-Jewish faculty at Harvard.”

Judge Burroughs questioned the government’s justification, calling it “mind-boggling” and noting the absence of any clear process or documentation linking the grant cancellations to actual antisemitic activity.

She added, “I don’t think you can justify a contract action based on impermissible suppression of speech.”

The lawsuit, which includes a separate challenge by the American Association of University Professors, comes amid growing concern across academia about government interference.

Harvard President Alan Garber as maintained that, “No government should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”

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