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Trump admin threatens Harvard's accreditation over antisemitism response

Trump admin threatens Harvard's accreditation over antisemitism response

Yahoo09-07-2025
** This article has been updated as of July 9, 2025, at 12:42 p.m. to include a comment from a Harvard spokesperson. **
The Trump administration is threatening Harvard University's accreditation due to its failure to respond to campus antisemitism, according to a Wednesday announcement.
The U.S. Department of Education's office of postsecondary education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' office for Civil Rights notified the New England Commission of Higher Education that Harvard is in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws, which could result in the institution failing to meet accreditation standards.
A Harvard spokesperson said the institution shared its report on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias with the administration and outlined ways it has strengthened policies, disciplined those who violate them, encouraged civil discourse and promoted open, respectful dialogue.
'Harvard is far from indifferent on this issue and strongly disagrees with the government's findings. Harvard continues to comply with the New England Commission of Higher Education's Standards for Accreditation, maintaining its accreditation uninterrupted since its initial review in 1929,' the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the university believes antisemitism is a 'serious problem' and is 'unacceptable' and has taken strides to combat bigotry, hate and bias.
'We are not alone in confronting this challenge and recognize that this work is ongoing. We remain committed to ensuring members of our Jewish and Israeli community are embraced, respected, and can thrive at Harvard,' the spokesperson said.
Schools that lose accreditation — a higher education quality measure assessed by independent agencies — risk losing access to federal financial aid for students, and can have transfer credits and even degrees rejected by other institutions.
Harvard's last comprehensive evaluation took place in Fall 2017 and the accreditation association continued the university's accreditation on April 19, 2018. The university's interim fifth-year report was submitted for consideration in August 2022 and has been accepted. The institution's next evaluation is scheduled for Fall 2027.
The notification comes after the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism informed the university on June 30 that it was in 'violent violation' of Title VI, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin, over campus antisemitism.
As a result, the Trump administration threatened to cut all funding from Harvard University if it didn't 'institute adequate changes immediately' after finding that the university failed to protect Jewish students from harassment.
Harvard later claimed in court documents that the federal government didn't conduct a 'meaningful investigation' of campus antisemitism; instead, it mostly just pointed to the university's report on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias.
Read more: Trump admin threatens to cut all Harvard's funding over 'violent violation'
'Accrediting bodies play a significant role in preserving academic integrity and a campus culture conducive to truth-seeking and learning. Part of that is ensuring students are safe on campus and abiding by federal laws that guarantee educational opportunities to all students,' Linda McMahon, U.S. Secretary of Education, said in a statement. 'By allowing anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination to persist unchecked on its campus, Harvard University has failed in its obligation to students, educators, and American taxpayers. The Department of Education expects the New England Commission of Higher Education to enforce its policies and practices, and to keep the Department fully informed of its efforts to ensure that Harvard is in compliance with federal law and accreditor standards.'
The department also notified the accrediting body of Columbia University in June over similar concerns and federal violations.
'When an institution—no matter how prestigious—abandons its mission and fails to protect its students, it forfeits the legitimacy that accreditation is designed to uphold,' Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health and Human Services Secretary, said in a statement. 'HHS and the Department of Education will actively hold Harvard accountable through sustained oversight until it restores public trust and ensures a campus free of discrimination.'
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Read the original article on MassLive.
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