Two groups representing Harvard professors sued the Trump administration on Friday, saying the threat of cutting billions of federal funds to universities violated free speech and other rights of amendment.
The lawsuit, by the American Association of University Professors and Group's Harvard chapter, follows the Trump administration's announcement earlier this month, reviewing roughly $9 billion in federal funds received by Harvard University. The administration also sent schools a list of requests they must meet if they wanted to maintain funds.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, calls for a temporary restraining order to stop the Trump administration from cutting funds.
“This action challenges the Trump administration's illegal and unprecedented misuse of federal funds and civil rights enforcement agencies, and undermines academic and freedom of speech on university campuses,” the lawsuit said.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Trump administration has been involved in a campaign against elite universities and believes anti-Semitism is too loose. In a recent letter to Harvard, the administration said the schools “didn't protect American students and teachers from anti-Semitic violence.” Other top schools like Columbia and Cornell are also being targeted.
Harvard did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday. Over the past few weeks, university president Alan Gerber said Harvard has spent “significant effort” working on anti-Semitism over the past 15 months, adding that there will be more work.
In a statement, Andrew Manuel Crespo, a law professor at Harvard and legal counsel for the AAUP-Harvard faculty branch, said the administration's policies are an excuse to cool the university and its faculty as they engage in speech, education and research that is not in line with President Trump's views.
“Harvard faculty have a constitutional right to research, teach and research without fear of the government retaliation on their perspective by cancelling grants,” Crespo said.
Hundreds of protesters, including students, professors and even the mayor of Cambridge, bravely faced the cold in protest against the Trump administration's threat to cut Harvard funds. At a packed park in Cambridge, Massachusetts, home to Harvard's campus, they called on the university to lead accusations of government crackdowns on higher education.
“Harvard is not only the resources to withstand pressure, but Cambridge Mayor Dennis Simmons said.
Miles J. Herszenhorn contributed to the report from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
