US Government Files New Lawsuit Against Harvard Seeking to Recover Federal Funds

MaticHoleFiller · 2026-03-21T14:32:52+00:00

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a new lawsuit against Harvard University, alleging that it has failed to address antisemitism on campus and seeking to recover billions of dollars in federal funding. Harvard responded that the lawsuit is retaliatory and stated that it will protect its interests.

MaticHoleFiller

2026-03-21 14:32:52

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From: Xinhua News Agency

Xinhua News Agency, Washington, March 20 (Reporter Yang Ling, Xiong Maoling) The U.S. Department of Justice filed a new lawsuit against Harvard University on the 20th, alleging that the university’s leadership has failed to address the “anti-Semitism” on campus and seeking to recover federal funds.

In the lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, the Department of Justice states that the lawsuit targets Harvard University for violating U.S. civil rights laws, specifically for “deliberate discrimination” against Jewish or Israeli individuals, or for showing a “deliberate indifference” despite knowing such behavior exists. The Department of Justice says the lawsuit aims to compel Harvard to comply with federal civil rights laws and recover “billions of dollars” in federal funding allocated to Harvard.

A Harvard University spokesperson responded that this is another act of retaliation against “Harvard’s refusal to transfer control to the federal government.”

The spokesperson said Harvard cares deeply about Jewish and Israeli communities and is committed to ensuring they are accepted and respected on campus. Harvard will defend itself against this lawsuit.

On February 13, the U.S. Department of Justice already filed a civil lawsuit against Harvard, accusing the university of non-cooperation with federal investigations and demanding that Harvard provide data related to admissions.

Since President Trump returned to the White House in January last year, he has repeatedly accused Harvard and other universities of so-called “anti-Semitism,” demanding that these institutions “rectify” the issue or face cuts or termination of federal funding. In April last year, the U.S. federal government announced the freezing of billions of dollars in federal research funds for Harvard, leading Harvard to file a lawsuit, which is still ongoing.

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