Harvard University President Alan Gerber wrote to Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Monday criticizing the Trump administration’s actions against schools, saying both groups share a “common foundation” on many issues.
“We share a common foundation on many important issues, including the importance of ending anti-Semitism and other biases on campus,” Gerber said. “I think Harvard, like you, must develop an academic environment that encourages freedom of thinking and expression, and instead of focusing on narrow orthodox things, it should embrace a large number of perspectives.”
However, Harvard’s goals are “harmed and threatened by the overreach of federal private universities to constitutional freedom and by continuing to comply with Harvard’s laws,” Gerber said.
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Harvard President Alan Gerber will address the crowd at the start of the 373rd edition at Harvard University. (Photo: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe by Getty Images))
“In line with the law and our own values, we continue to pursue necessary reforms and consult with our stakeholders, and are always in compliance with the law,” he wrote. “However, Harvard will not nucleate legally protected principles from fears of unfounded federal retaliation.”
Gerber’s remarks respond to a poignant letter last week that McMahon said the university is not eligible for federal grants over anti-Semitism treatment on campus.
“It is a privilege and not a right to receive such taxpayer funds,” she wrote. “But instead of using these funds to advance students’ education, Harvard is engaged in a systematic pattern of violating federal law. Where do many of these ‘students’ come from, who do they, who do they enter Harvard, or even into our country?
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Linda McMahon, Director of Education, sent a harsh letter to Harvard President Alan Gerber, advised them not to apply for federal grants as they were not being offered. (Getty Images)
“These are questions that need to be answered to many more, but the biggest question is why isn’t Harvard giving the American people a simple answer?” she added.
The Trump administration has frozen $2.2 billion in funding for universities and threatened to revoke its tax-free status.
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In his letter, Gerber listed some of the actions Harvard took to address campus issues. These include establishing new deans and clarifying the structure and procedures of school discipline. He noted that Harvard, like many universities, has something to do to promote intellectual diversity on campus.
Gerber also pushed back McMahon’s claim that Harvard is a “partisan” institution.
The Trump administration has announced it will freeze more than $2 billion in grants and contracts after Harvard University said it would not comply with federal demands on anti-Semitism. (Reuters/Nicolas pfosi)
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“I have to refute your claim that Harvard is a partisan institution. It’s neither Republican nor democratic,” he wrote. “It’s not the arms of other political parties or movements. It’s never the case. Harvard is a place where people from all backgrounds gather and learn in an inclusive setting where ideas are “conservative”, “liberal”, or something else, respectfully challenged, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging, challenging,
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