Overview

• HHS’ Office for Civil Rights initiated suspension and debarment proceedings and notified Harvard that it has 20 days to request a hearing before an HHS administrative law judge on alleged Title VI violations.
• The action follows a June Notice of Violation that said Harvard acted with “deliberate indifference” to antisemitic harassment and a July referral of aspects of the case to the Justice Department.
• If sustained, suspension or debarment would bar Harvard from receiving federal grants or entering government contracts across agencies.
• The escalation comes weeks after a federal judge ordered billions in frozen research grants restored and criticized the administration’s actions; officials have said they will appeal.
• The move fits a broader push to leverage funding and civil-rights enforcement across higher education, with Columbia, Brown and Penn striking agreements as Harvard continues to contest the government’s claims.