Harvard University in Massachusetts has been caught up in controversy in recent years, with the latest threat from President Donald Trump to cut funds from the university by refusing to comply with the administration’s demands on anti-contemplation.
Read the list of recent university controversies.
Anti-Semitism in Campus Litigation
After October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel led by a group of student-led activists, with 1,200 Israelis killed and hundreds of other hostages held anti-Israel protests on campus.
Trump says Harvard is “the road that’s lost” and doesn’t deserve federal funds
Drone View shows anti-Israel protesters voluntarily stuffing camps in Harvard University’s gardens in Cambridge, Massachusetts on May 14, 2024. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
Many Jewish students at the university say they feel hostile on campus due to their religious beliefs.
In January, the university settled two lawsuits alleging discrimination between anti-Semitic and Israeli.
Repulsion against Harvard’s initial response to anti-Semitism accusations
Harvard’s initial hesitation to condemn Hamas’ terrorist attacks led to accusations that Harvard had become tolerant of anti-Semitism.
On Friday, September 4th, 2009, she was hanging outside Memorial Church on the Harvard University Campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Michael Fine/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Former President Claudine Gay’s “unacceptable” testimony to Congress
Then-Harvard President Claudine Gaye, along with Pennsylvania President Liz McGill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Cornbruce, faced fierce backlash after testifying before Congress in December 2023 on suspicion of campus anti-Semitism.
Claudingay resigned from Harvard’s position as president in January 2024 amid a controversy of simultaneous anti-Semitism and plagiarism at Ivy League School. (Getty Images, file via Haiyun Jiang/Bloomberg)
University leaders burned about anti-Semitism treatment on their respective campuses following Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel.
Gay had a memorable exchange with Rep. Rn.Y. Elise Stefanik after the lawmakers questioned directly.
Stefanik cuts off Harvard beyond “complete moral failure” after allowing Claudine Gay to remain president
“At Harvard University, does seeking genocide for Jews violate Harvard’s rules of bullying and harassment?” Stefanik specifically asked the gays.
“In some context, that might be true,” replied Gay.
“When anti-Semitic speech goes beyond the actions that come with bullying, harassment and intimidation, it’s a viable act and we take action,” Gay said when Jewish genocide was forced to answer “yes” or “no” if it breaks school rules.
“So the answer is yes. Is seeking Jewish genocide violating Harvard’s code of conduct?” asked Stefanik.
“Again, that depends on the context,” Gay said.
“It’s context-independent. The answer is yes, and this is why you should resign,” replied Stefanik. “These are totally unacceptable answers.”
Former President Claudine Gay accused of plagiarism
Gay was also at the heart of a scandal in which he was accused of multiple instances of plagiarism in academic works dating back to the 1990s.
Harvard University’s Claudingay resigns amid anti-Semitism, plagiarism controversy
Anti-Israel protesters have demonstrated at Harvard campus since the fatal Hamas terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023. (Joseph Prezioso/Contributor, file)
Following the initial claims that surfaced in October 2023, other allegations of plagiarism were filed against the gay in the following weeks.
Gay announced his resignation in January 2024 amid two controversies.
Harvard refuses to follow the Trump administration’s demands
Alan Gerber, Harvard University president who has been the university’s president since January 2024, issued a statement on April 14 that the school would not comply with the Trump administration’s demands on anti-Semitism.
In his letter, Gerber said the federal government threatened partnerships with several universities, including Harvard, over the accusations of anti-Semitism on campus.
He also said the Trump administration issued the latest expanded list of requests and said that if schools plan to maintain financial ties with the federal government, it must follow.
“The intent makes it clear that it is not to work with us to address anti-Semitism in a collaborative and constructive way,” Gerber writes. “We have notified the administration through our legal advisor that we will not accept the proposed agreement.”
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Following the letter, Trump doubled his attack on the university and called the facility a “joking.”
Anders Hagstrom, Kyle Morris, Danielle Wallace and Chris Pandolfo from Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
