Overview
- On July 21 in Boston federal court, Harvard presented oral arguments for its summary judgment request to restore about $2.5 billion in canceled research grants.
- Harvard contends the administration’s actions violate the First Amendment and Title VI by using grant funding as leverage over its governance and academic programs.
- The Department of Justice argued the court lacks jurisdiction and defended the freeze as a lawful measure to pressure the university on its response to campus antisemitism.
- More than 950 research grants supporting critical medical, scientific and technological projects have been jeopardized by the funding suspension.
- Legal observers say Judge Burroughs’s ruling will set a precedent for federal oversight of campus policies and the balance between academic freedom and government authority.