A letter to Harvard was issued a few days after Washington said he was investigating billions of dollars as part of an ongoing investigation at the university.
Harvard University must either follow certain plans to end harassment among Jewish students or confiscate billions of dollars with federal funds, the Department of Education told school leaders on April 3.
A divisional letter to the university obtained by the Epoch Times outlines similar conditions Columbia University adhered to last month after federal agencies removed $400 million in funding due to past failures to deal with anti-Semitic events.
“We look forward to meaningful dialogue at Harvard, focusing on lasting structural reforms,” reads a letter signed by officials from the Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of General Services.
According to the letter, Harvard should provide oversight, accountability and reform of biased programs that promote anti-Semitism to “improve diversity in perspective and end ideological capture.”
The university must also implement a series of student reforms, including a ban on campus masks, ensure that senior administrators are in charge of disciplinary action for students, and publish reports on all violations of rules related to anti-Semitism since October 7, 2023.
Additionally, an organizational plan is required to track the administrators and faculty leaders responsible for implementing these changes.
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Harvard must end all DEI programs and racial preferences in employment and student hospitalization.
The letter also states that universities should work with all federal regulators, including law enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security.
“Your immediate cooperation in implementing these important reforms will hopefully enable Harvard to return to its original mission of providing high-quality education in a safe environment for all students, with a focus on truth-seeking, innovative research, academic excellence,” the letter states.
He said that immediate cooperation was expected and that the deadline was not approved.
In an email response to the Epoch Times, Harvard admitted to receiving the letter and said it had not received previous signs that conditions would be set.
It’s been a busy week for the Ivy League president.
On March 31, the Trump administration announced it would investigate a $8.7 billion contract with Harvard.
University president Alan Gerber immediately wrote letters to students and employees, saying he was working with the federal anti-Semitism task force.
“In doing so, we fight against prejudice and intolerance in creating conditions that promote excellence in education and research, which is at the core of our mission,” Gerber wrote.
The following day, the federal agency notified Princeton University that dozens of federal research grants had been suspended due to campus anti-Semitism.
On April 3, White House officials confirmed that the Trump administration plans to suspend $510 million in grants and contracts to Brown University.
The Anti-Semitism Task Force previously notified 60 universities to its investigation.
Legal challenges are expected.
After Columbia University announced it was complying with all conditions to maintain its federal funding qualification, the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the actions of the Trump administration and restore all federal funds to the institution.
