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Trump has used leverage of federal funds against

universities

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Harvard sued Trump administration earlier this year

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Rights advocates have raised concerns over government's

actions

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, July 31 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's

administration has sent a letter to Harvard University saying it

has referred the university to the U.S. Justice Department to

address allegations of "Harvard's antisemitic discrimination."

In late June, the Trump administration said an investigation

had concluded Harvard violated federal civil rights law for

failing to address harassment of Jewish and Israeli students.

Critics, rights experts and some faculty said such probes

are a pretext to assert federal control over schools and

threaten academic freedom and free speech.

Harvard has been embroiled in talks and a legal fight with

the Trump administration, seeking the restoration of billions of

dollars of frozen federal funds for medical research and other

programs. It sued the Trump administration earlier this year.

"The parties' several months' engagement has been

fruitless," said the letter dated Wednesday from the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services to Harvard's leadership.

"OCR (Office for Civil Rights) therefore has no choice but

to refer the matter to DOJ to initiate appropriate proceedings

to address Harvard's antisemitic discrimination."

Trump has threatened to cut federal funds for universities

over pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel's war in

Gaza. The government alleges universities allowed antisemitism

during last year's pro-Palestinian protests.

Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say the Trump

administration wrongly equates their criticism of Israel's

military assault in Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian

territories with antisemitism, and advocacy for Palestinian

rights with support for extremism.

Campus protesters demanded an end to U.S. backing for Israel

and a commitment that their universities will cease investing in

weapons makers and companies that support Israel's occupation of

Palestinian territories.

Harvard had no immediate comment on Wednesday's letter. The

university has said it aims to combat discrimination. Reports

released in April by Harvard's antisemitism and Islamophobia

task forces found fear and bigotry faced by Jewish, Muslim and

Arab students.

The Trump administration has not announced equivalent probes

into Islamophobia.

Last week, Columbia University agreed to pay over $220

million to resolve federal probes. The New York Times has

reported Harvard was open to spending up to $500 million to end

its dispute with the government.