NW Kentucky News

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has initiated an investigation into Harvard University due to concerns over its adherence to civil rights laws. The inquiry, led by Chairman James Comer from Kentucky and Representative Elise Stefanik from New York, comes in response to Harvard's receipt of substantial federal funding and alleged non-compliance with civil rights statutes.

The lawmakers, in a letter addressed to Harvard University President Alan Garber, requested documents and communications pertinent to the investigation and hinted at the possibility of transcribed interviews with Harvard employees. According to the correspondence, "The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is conducting oversight of Harvard University’s lack of compliance with civil rights laws despite receiving more than half a billion dollars in federal funds annually."

The backdrop to this inquiry is the longstanding civil rights legislation that bars any federally assisted program from discriminating based on race, color, or national origin. Notwithstanding a sizeable endowment, Harvard received at least $686 million in federal funding in Fiscal Year 2024. The institution allegedly has a history of defending racially discriminatory and antisemitic activities on its campus. As of April 11, 2025, federal officials from various departments proposed a settlement to bring Harvard back into compliance, which the university reportedly rejected. This rejection led to a freeze on over $2 billion in multi-year federal grants and $60 million in contract value.

In the legislators' words, "Harvard is apparently so unable or unwilling to prevent unlawful discrimination that the institution, at your direction, is refusing to enter into a reasonable settlement agreement proposed by federal officials intended to put Harvard back in compliance with the law." They further asserted, "No matter how entitled your behavior, no institution is entitled to violate the law."

The letter further recommends that if Harvard, or any other institution, opts not to comply with civil rights laws, it should refrain from accepting federal financial assistance. The full letter addressed to President Garber is available for public view.