“At its best, a university should fulfill the highest ideals of our Nation, and enlighten the thousands of hopeful students who walk through its magnificent gates,” McMahon said. “But Harvard has betrayed this ideal … this letter is to inform you that Harvard should no longer seek GRANTS from the federal government, since none will be provided.”
On a press call ahead of the letter’s release, a senior Education Department official told reporters that McMahon had identified Harvard as deficient in four areas: antisemitism, racial discrimination, abandonment of rigor and viewpoint diversity.
To become eligible for new grants, Harvard would need to enter negotiations with the federal government and prove it has satisfied the administration’s demands.