You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
After freezing $2.7 billion in federal funds and trying to cut off Harvard University from enrolling international students, the Trump administration is now moving to end $100 million in contracts with the institution, The Boston Globe and other outlets reported.
Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, wrote to all federal agencies Tuesday, telling them to consider their contracts with Harvard and “whether Harvard and its services efficiently promote the priorities of the agency.” He recommended that the agencies terminate their contracts with Harvard and transition to a new vendor. Agencies have until June 6 to report back on the status of those contracts.
“Going forward, we also encourage your agency to seek alternative vendors for future services where you had previously considered Harvard,” wrote Gruenbaum, who is a member of the federal antisemitism task force that demanded sweeping changes at the university, which Harvard rejected.
Gruenbaum accused Harvard of discriminating based on race in its admissions decisions along with other examples that he said revealed a “deeply troubling pattern.” For example, he cited the decision to award a $65,000 fellowship to a student who was charged with assault and battery after confronting an Israeli student at a protest in October 2023. The other student who was charged was named Harvard Divinity School’s class marshal for commencement. Both students pleaded not guilty and agreed to complete an anger management course as well as 80 hours of community service in order to avoid a trial, The Harvard Crimson reported.
“Harvard’s actions in this case are a clear signal of tolerance for, if not outright endorsement of, student-on-student violence,” Gruenbaum wrote. “At best, this sort of leadership suggests staggering incompetence; at worst, it’s deliberate malice disguised as ignorance.”
Harvard has challenged the funding cuts in federal court, arguing that the administration is trying to unlawfully control a private university. University officials also say they are committed to combating antisemitism and are working on several reforms now.
