Washington: President Donald Trump's administration is increasing efforts to reach a settlement with Harvard University in the long-standing legal confrontation with the prestigious institution, The Washington Post reported, adding that a deal could be finalized by the end of the month
The university has been one of the primary targets of the administration's pressure campaign on higher education, focusing on alleged antisemitism, diversity policies, anti-Israeli protests, and hiring practices.
Harvard has sued the administration twice to halt punitive measures, most notably a freeze on over $3 billion in federal research funding. The university argued that this action endangers scientific and medical projects. More than 40 groups have filed amicus briefs in court supporting Harvard’s case, including alumni associations, hospitals, research universities, and former US officials.
In response to the legal pressure Harvard has exerted, a coalition of 16 Republican-led states filed a brief early this week in support of the Trump administration’s stance. The attorneys general of those states alleged that Harvard has allowed antisemitism on campus and argued that institutions receiving federal funds must be held accountable under anti-discrimination laws.
"Harvard’s current, suffocating atmosphere of antisemitism is illegal," the brief stated. "And that illegal conduct is not protected by the First Amendment."
