Officials in the administration had believed that a detailed list of demands sent to Harvard last Friday would remain confidential and serve as the foundation for further talks.
However, those officials were caught off guard when Harvard made the letter public on Monday. Until that point, the administration had been planning a more lenient approach with Harvard than with Columbia University. But after the letter’s release, insiders say the government shifted gears and decided to increase the pressure on Harvard.
According to people close to the university, there was never an agreement to keep the letter private. The demands, such as permitting federal oversight of admissions, hiring practices, and even the ideological leanings of students and staff, were viewed by Harvard as unacceptable from the start.
The demands came from a newly formed Trump administration group called the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism.
In an open letter to the university community, Harvard President Alan Garber stated that the list of demands showed “the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner.” He also noted, “We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement.”
MNA
