Harvard University in Massachusetts has been embroiled in controversies in recent years, the latest being President Donald Trump’s threats to withhold over $2.2 billion in funding from the university over its refusal to comply with the administration’s demands regarding antisemitism.
Read on for a list of the university’s recent controversies.
Antisemitism on campus lawsuits
Following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and hundreds of others taken hostage, student-led activist groups held anti-Israel protests on campus.
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Many Jewish students at the university have said they have felt hostility on campus due to their religious beliefs.
In January, the university settled two lawsuits alleging anti-Jewish and anti-Israel discrimination.
Backlash against Harvard’s initial response to antisemitism accusations
Harvard’s initial hesitancy to condemn the Hamas terror attack led to accusations that Harvard had become tolerant of antisemitism.
Former President Claudine Gay’s ‘unacceptable’ testimony to Congress
Then-Harvard president Claudine Gay faced intense backlash after testifying about alleged campus antisemitism before Congress in December 2023 alongside then-University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth.
The university leaders were grilled about their handling of antisemitism on their respective campuses following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.
Gay had a memorable exchange with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., after the congresswoman asked a direct question.
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“At Harvard, does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard’s rules of bullying and harassment?” Stefanik asked Gay specifically.
“It can be, depending on the context,” Gay responded.
“Antisemitic speech when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation – that is actionable conduct and we do take action,” Gay said when pressed to answer “yes” or “no” if calls for the genocide of Jews breaks school rules.
“So the answer is yes, that calling for the genocide of Jews violates Harvard code of conduct, correct?” Stefanik asked.
“Again, it depends on the context,” Gay said.
“It does not depend on the context. The answer is yes and this is why you should resign,” Stefanik responded. “These are unacceptable answers across the board.”
Former president Claudine Gay accused of plagiarism
Gay was also at the center of a scandal in which she was accused of multiple instances of plagiarism in scholarly works stretching back to the 1990s.
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Following the initial claims that surfaced in October 2023, other allegations of plagiarism were made against Gay in subsequent weeks.
Gay announced her resignation in January 2024 amid the two controversies.
Harvard refuses to comply with Trump administration’s demands
Harvard University President Alan Garber, who has served as the university’s president since January 2024, released a statement on April 14 saying the school would not comply with the Trump administration’s demands regarding antisemitism.
In his letter, Garber said the federal government has threatened its partnerships with several universities, including Harvard, over accusations of antisemitism on their campuses.
He also noted that the Trump administration issued an updated and expanded list of demands, saying if the school plans to maintain a financial relationship with the federal government, it must comply.
“It makes clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner,” Garber wrote. “We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement.”
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Following the letter, Trump doubled down on his attacks against the university, calling the institution a “joke.”
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom, Kyle Morris, Danielle Wallace and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
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