Trending Now - Lawsuits Target Colleges Over Alleged Anti-semitic Hostility
WHO:
Trump administration
Harvard University
President Trump
Liz Huston, White House spokesperson
Jason Newton, Harvard’s communications director
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
Justice Department
WHAT:
The Trump administration is asking a federal judge to require Harvard to pay back millions in grant payments and halt more than $2.6 billion in existing grants.
The lawsuit alleges that Harvard has created "a hostile educational environment" for Israeli and Jewish students.
The lawsuit claims that students were "spit on in the face for wearing a yarmulke, stalked on campus, and jeered by peers with calls of ‘Heil Hitler’" from October 7th, 2023, until present day.
The Justice Department's lawsuit states that Harvard's actions sent a "clear message" to Jewish and Israeli students that they were being intentionally excluded and denied equal access to educational opportunities.
The Trump administration filed a federal lawsuit against Harvard University on March 20th, 2026.
The lawsuit alleges that Harvard violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination.
The administration is seeking to recover billions of dollars in taxpayer money that Harvard has received from federal agencies.
The lawsuit is 44 pages long.
The Trump administration is asking for $1 billion in damages.
Harvard is set to receive more than $2.6 billion through federal grants from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The lawsuit claims that Jewish and Israeli students faced "severe, pervasive and objectively offensive harassment" on campus.
WHERE:
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
WHEN:
The lawsuit was filed on March 20th, 2026.
The Hamas attacks on Israel occurred on October 7th, 2023.
The Trump administration opened an investigation into Harvard's compliance with Title VI in April 2025.
The investigation concluded in June 2025.
WHY:
The lawsuit is part of the Trump administration's ongoing battle with Harvard over its handling of antisemitism on campus.
The administration claims Harvard has failed to address antisemitism and protect Jewish students.
HOW:
The Trump administration has taken steps to cut off federal funding to Harvard and has placed the university on "Heightened Cash Monitoring" status due to concerns regarding its financial position.
The Department of Commerce has targeted Harvard's patents as part of the administration's pressure tactics.
The lawsuit alleges that Harvard was "deliberately indifferent" to the harassment of Jewish and Israeli students.
The administration has taken steps to cut off federal funding to Harvard and has placed the university on "Heightened Cash Monitoring" status.
The Justice Department accused Harvard of failing to enforce campus rules against harassment of Jewish and Israeli students.
(UPDATED March 20, 2026 21:07 UTC)
The Trump administration is taking legal action against Harvard, demanding that the university repay millions in grant payments and stop over $2.6 billion in existing grants, citing a hostile educational environment for Israeli and Jewish students. The lawsuit alleges that students faced severe harassment, including being spit on for wearing a yarmulke and being jeered at with anti-Semitic slurs since October 2023. In addition to the lawsuit, the administration has placed Harvard on "Heightened Cash Monitoring" status and is targeting the university's patents as part of its pressure tactics.
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(UPDATED March 20, 2026 17:17 UTC)
Today, the Trump administration filed a federal lawsuit against Harvard University, alleging that the school violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by not adequately protecting Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination. The lawsuit, which is 44 pages long, claims that these students faced severe harassment on campus and seeks $1 billion in damages while also aiming to recover billions in taxpayer money that Harvard has received from federal agencies. This legal action follows an investigation that began in April 2025 and concluded in June 2025, during which the Justice Department accused Harvard of being deliberately indifferent to the harassment of its Jewish and Israeli students.