Harvard might lose federal funding due to antisemitism allegations

(MENAFN) The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Monday that it is referring Harvard University to its office handling suspension and debarment cases over alleged failures to address antisemitism, according to reports.

If enforced, the move could prevent Harvard from receiving federal funds or entering contracts with the government, potentially cutting off hundreds of millions of dollars in annual research grants and other funding.

This civil rights complaint marks a new point of tension between Harvard and the Trump administration, which has repeatedly accused the university of discriminatory practices and ignoring antisemitic incidents—claims Harvard denies. In June, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) found that Harvard was “deliberately indifferent” to discrimination and harassment faced by Jewish and Israeli students. The case was later referred to the Justice Department for potential civil rights action.

A federal judge recently ruled that the administration had unlawfully frozen billions in multiyear federal grants to Harvard and barred further freezes. The OCR’s referral to the HHS Suspension and Debarment Program now triggers a review to determine whether the university will lose access to federal grants and contracts and for how long. Harvard has 20 days to indicate if it will request a hearing.

“OCR's referral of Harvard for formal administrative proceedings reflects OCR's commitment to safeguard both taxpayer investments and the broader public interest,” OCR director Paula M. Stannard said Monday.

A Harvard spokesperson said the university has taken “substantive, proactive steps” against antisemitism and continues efforts to combat “bigotry, hate and bias.”

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