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The Trump administration has stepped up its pressure on Harvard University by notifying the government’s accreditation agency that the Ivy League institution has violated federal anti-discrimination laws.
In a letter to the New England Commission of Higher Education, the body responsible for accrediting Harvard, the departments of education and health and human services on Tuesday wrote: “There is strong evidence to suggest the school may no longer meet the Commission’s accreditation standards.”
The formal notification follows a ruling by the administration at the end of last month that the university had violated US civil rights law and could lead to penalties including the revocation of its status as a university. This would make it ineligible for federal funding, including grants and student loans.
The move is part of a push by President Donald Trump’s administration to impose a settlement on Harvard that would see it overhaul its operations and governance, which the university claims would undermine its academic freedom and has resisted with legal challenges.
The New England Commission of Higher Education is one of a handful of bodies across the country that govern university accreditation. The federal government recognises the authority of the arm’s-length agencies but also has the power to remove accreditation or accredit institutions directly.
Last month, the administration sent a similar notification to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education regarding Columbia University — making it the first of 60 universities under investigation for alleged violations of civil rights linked to antisemitism to receive such a notice.
The New England commission said the ruling against Harvard would not necessarily result in the university being stripped of its accreditation. It pointed out that federal regulations gave institutions up to four years to make any changes needed to comply with the administration’s demands.
A commission official indicated the body would expect a response from university in the coming weeks.
Harvard said in a statement that it “strongly disagrees with the government’s findings . . . [and] continues to comply with the New England Commission of Higher Education’s Standards for Accreditation, maintaining its accreditation uninterrupted since its initial review in 1929”.
The university added that it had made “significant strides to combat bigotry, hate and bias”, and that it had “strengthened policies, disciplined those who violate them, encouraged civil discourse, and promoted open, respectful dialogue”.
Education secretary Linda McMahon said: “The Department of Education expects the New England Commission of Higher Education to enforce its policies and practices, and to keep the department fully informed of its efforts to ensure that Harvard is in compliance with federal law and accreditor standards.”
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