Harvard Professors Sue Trump Administration Over $9 Billion Federal Funding Threat

The lawsuit challenges the administration's policy demands as unconstitutional, citing threats to academic freedom and free speech.

Harvard professors, represented by the American Association of University Professors, filed a lawsuit on April 12, 2025, seeking to block the Trump administration's review of $9 billion in federal funding.
The legal action argues that the administration's policy demands, including banning masks at protests and eliminating diversity programs, violate the First Amendment and undermine academic freedom.
The lawsuit requests an immediate temporary restraining order to prevent the administration from cutting off federal funding to Harvard during the legal proceedings.
The funding review is part of a broader federal campaign targeting elite universities, citing antisemitism concerns but accused by critics of using funding as leverage to impose political views.
Harvard officials warn that losing federal funding would jeopardize critical scientific and medical research, while faculty claim the administration's actions are an existential threat to higher education.