Harvard sued the Trump administration in federal court on Monday, saying that the White House is trying to “punish Harvard for protecting its constitutional rights.
Read the full complaint here.
Trump has already cut $2.2 billion in federal grants to the Ivy League school’s research funds after it refused to eliminate its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies. Several other companies, including Amazon, Google, Meta and Walmart complied with Trump’s orders, but Harvard was one of the few organizations to defy the president.
Lawyers for the university argue that Trump’s cuts to Harvard’s funding is unconstitutional and will jeopardize the institution’s medical research.
“The tradeoff put to Harvard and other universities is clear: Allow the Government to micromanage your academic institution or jeopardize the institution’s ability to pursue medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries, and innovative solutions,” Harvard’s lawyers wrote in the filing.
Harvard is asking for the court to halt and declare the $2.2 billion freeze “unlawful.”
University President Alan M. Garber sent a memo on Monday that universities and colleges must be allowed to “fulfill their essential role in society without improper government intrusion.”
Harvard will be represented by attorneys Robert K. Hur and William A. Burck: Hur was appointed to the Department of Justice by Trump in his first term, and Burck previously served as counsel for the Trump Organization, The Crimson reports.
Lawyers at law firms Ropes & Gray and Lehotsky Keller Cohn, both of which have offices in Washington DC., will also represent Harvard, according to the lawsuit.
In a statement posted sometime after the lawsuit was filed, Harvard President Alan Garber said in part that the funding freeze is “unlawful and beyond the government’s authority.”
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