5 controversies embroiling Harvard University as Trump seeks to cut funding

Harvard University successful Massachusetts has been embroiled successful controversies successful caller years, the latest being President Donald Trump’s threats to withhold implicit $2.2 cardinal successful backing from the assemblage implicit its refusal to comply with the administration’s demands regarding antisemitism.

Read connected for a database of the university’s caller controversies.

Antisemitism connected field lawsuits

Following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas panic onslaught connected Israel, successful which 1,200 Israelis were killed and hundreds of others taken hostage, student-led activistic groups held anti-Israel protests connected campus.

TRUMP SAYS HARVARD HAS ‘LOST IS WAY,’ DOESN'T DESERVE FEDERAL FUNDING

A drone presumption shows anti-Israel protesters voluntarily packing up their encampment successful the Yard astatine Harvard University successful Cambridge, Massachusetts, connected May 14, 2024.  (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

Many Jewish students astatine the assemblage person said they person felt hostility connected field owed to their spiritual beliefs.

In January, the assemblage settled 2 lawsuits alleging anti-Jewish and anti-Israel discrimination.

Backlash against Harvard’s archetypal effect to antisemitism accusations

Harvard’s archetypal hesitancy to condemn the Hamas panic onslaught led to accusations that Harvard had go tolerant of antisemitism.

Harvard banners bent extracurricular Memorial Church connected the Harvard University field successful Cambridge, Massachusetts, connected Friday, Sept. 4, 2009.  (Michael Fein/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Former President Claudine Gay’s ‘unacceptable’ grounds to Congress

Then-Harvard president Claudine Gay faced aggravated backlash aft testifying astir alleged field antisemitism earlier Congress successful December 2023 alongside then-University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth.

Claudine Gay resigned from her presumption arsenic president of Harvard successful January 2024 amid simultaneous antisemitism and plagiarism controversies astatine the Ivy League school. (Haiyun Jiang/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)

The assemblage leaders were grilled astir their handling of antisemitism connected their respective campuses pursuing the Hamas terrorist attacks connected Israel.

Gay had a memorable speech with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., after the congresswoman asked a nonstop question.

STEFANIK SHREDS HARVARD OVER ‘COMPLETE MORAL FAILURE’ AFTER ALLOWING CLAUDINE GAY TO REMAIN PRESIDENT

"At Harvard, does calling for the genocide of Jews interruption Harvard’s rules of bullying and harassment?" Stefanik asked Gay specifically. 

"It tin be, depending connected the context," Gay responded.

"Antisemitic code erstwhile it crosses into behaviour that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation – that is actionable behaviour and we bash instrumentality action," Gay said erstwhile pressed to reply "yes" oregon "no" if calls for the genocide of Jews breaks schoolhouse rules.

"So the reply is yes, that calling for the genocide of Jews violates Harvard codification of conduct, correct?" Stefanik asked.

"Again, it depends connected the context," Gay said.

"It does not beryllium connected the context. The reply is yes and this is wherefore you should resign," Stefanik responded. "These are unacceptable answers crossed the board."

Former president Claudine Gay accused of plagiarism

Gay was besides astatine the halfway of a ungraded successful which she was accused of multiple instances of plagiarism in scholarly works stretching backmost to the 1990s. 

HARVARD PRESIDENT CLAUDINE GAY RESIGNS AMID ANTISEMITISM, PLAGIARISM CONTROVERSIES

Anti-Israel protesters person demonstrated connected the Harvard field since the deadly Hamas panic onslaught connected Israel successful October 2023. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Contributor, File)

Following the archetypal claims that surfaced successful October 2023, different allegations of plagiarism were made against Gay successful consequent weeks.

Gay announced her resignation successful January 2024 amid the 2 controversies.

Harvard refuses to comply with Trump administration’s demands

Harvard University President Alan Garber, who has served arsenic the university’s president since January 2024, released a connection connected April 14 saying the schoolhouse would not comply with the Trump administration’s demands regarding antisemitism.

In his letter, Garber said the national authorities has threatened its partnerships with respective universities, including Harvard, implicit accusations of antisemitism connected their campuses.

He besides noted that the Trump medication issued an updated and expanded database of demands, saying if the schoolhouse plans to support a fiscal narration with the national government, it indispensable comply.

"It makes wide that the volition is not to enactment with america to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner," Garber wrote. "We person informed the medication done our ineligible counsel that we volition not judge their projected agreement."

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Following the letter, Trump doubled down connected his attacks against the university, calling the instauration a "joke."

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom, Kyle Morris, Danielle Wallace and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.