White House Targets Harvard With Fines Over Campus Antisemitism

WASHINGTON — The White House is seeking to impose steep financial penalties on Harvard University and other institutions accused of mishandling campus antisemitism, mirroring the $200 million settlement recently reached with Columbia University, according to a senior administration official.

The official, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said fines have become a standard part of proposed settlements with universities currently under federal investigation. This approach marks a dramatic shift in how civil rights violations on campus are resolved.

Historically, the Department of Education has resolved Title VI cases through voluntary compliance agreements — rarely involving financial penalties. However, that changed under President Donald Trump, whose administration has taken a harder line on alleged antisemitic incidents at American colleges since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Columbia Settlement Sets a Precedent

Under the Columbia deal announced Wednesday, the university agreed to:

  • Pay a $200 million fine

  • Eliminate race-based considerations in admissions and hiring

  • Hire more Jewish studies faculty

  • Decrease its international student enrollment

  • Submit to oversight by an independent monitor

Though the government cannot dictate academic decisions, the agreement still imposes wide-reaching operational changes. Columbia’s leaders defended the deal, saying it preserves the school’s autonomy while unlocking frozen federal research funding (source).

Harvard in the Crosshairs

The Trump administration is investigating dozens of U.S. universities, including Harvard, Cornell, and Northwestern, for allegedly failing to protect Jewish students amid campus protests and rising tensions related to the Middle East conflict.

“The bottom line is we’re not going to give any more money to Harvard,” Trump said Friday. “We want to spread the wealth.”

The administration has already frozen $1 billion in federal funds at Cornell and $790 million at Northwestern. Trump hinted that Harvard, which is pursuing a legal challenge against the funding freeze, may never return to previous federal funding levels.

A Broader Strategy

Education Secretary Linda McMahon described the Columbia settlement as a “roadmap” for other schools. She said the agreement will “ripple across the higher education sector and change the course of campus culture for years to come.”

Related reporting suggests Trump’s team will continue using fines and funding freezes to compel universities to adopt stricter antisemitism protocols and overhaul diversity-based programs. Several civil rights groups have voiced concerns about the potential chilling effects on academic freedom.

Source: AP News