The university announced the lawsuit Monday, April 21, 2025, after federal officials imposed the funding freeze. The move followed Harvard’s refusal to comply with a list of demands from the administration that included sweeping reforms to leadership structures, admissions policies, and the university’s handling of student activism.
According to the Trump administration, the funding freeze was prompted by Harvard’s failure to restrict certain campus organizations and to audit diversity-related initiatives that the administration claims violate federal guidelines.
In a public statement, Harvard President Alan Garber pushed back firmly. “We will not allow federal overreach to compromise academic freedom or the autonomy of our institution,” he said. “These grants support critical research and innovation that benefit the entire country.”
The administration’s letter also called for Harvard to stop recognizing some student-led clubs and organizations that have allegedly engaged in political or social activism considered disruptive.
Critics have labeled the funding freeze as politically motivated retaliation, while supporters argue the administration is addressing longstanding concerns about bias and lack of transparency in elite academic institutions.
Harvard’s lawsuit is expected to challenge the legality of withholding federal research funds based on ideological disagreements, and the outcome could have broader implications for higher education institutions nationwide.