Department of Health and Human Services Broadens Harvard Investigation, Requests Antisemitism Task Force Documents

The United States Department of Health and Human Services broadened the scope of its investigation into Harvard on April 7 to include events at the entire University since Oct. 7, 2023, in addition to pro-Palestine imagery displayed by Harvard Medical School students at commencement ceremonies last spring.

The expanded purview of the investigation was shared in a Saturday email to Harvard’s lawyers requesting more information from the University by May 2. The email asked for reports from any Harvard task force — including an antisemitism task force launched in January 2024 — and the names of any people involved in their creation.

The email was obtained and first published by The Free Press on Sunday.

HHS’ initial investigation into HMS — which considers Harvard’s compliance with Title VI antidiscrimination requirements — was launched in February over pro-Palestine messaging from students at the school’s graduation ceremonies last May.

Last month, HMS submitted documents, including a list of all school employees who saw the commencement ceremony, in cooperation with HHS’ investigation.

HHS broadened its compliance review “based on information obtained over the course of its investigation,” according to the email. It did not state what specific information prompted the expansion.

The email requested any final or draft reports and findings from Harvard’s presidential task forces on combatting antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias and anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian bias. HHS asked for versions of the task forces’ reports from both before and after April 3, the date the University received the Trump administration’s original set of demands.

Both task forces released their preliminary reports in June, urging the University to address what they found was widespread discrimination against both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel students. But almost a year later, and months after a fall 2024 deadline, neither task force has released its final report.

The HHS email also asked for available interview dates for people involved in drafting task force reports.

A Harvard spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday night. An OCR spokesperson also did not immediately respond.

The move is the latest escalation in the growing feud between the White House and Massachusetts Hall. After University President Alan M. Garber ’76 rejected the Trump administration’s demands, the administration paused more than $2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year contracts.

On Sunday night, the Trump administration’s plans to slash an additional $1 billion in grants were leaked to the Wall Street Journal.

The HHS investigation concerns Harvard’s compliance with two antidiscrimination laws: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race and national origin, has become a key legal instrument in the Trump administration’s campaign to discipline universities for antisemitism on their campuses.

“As a recipient of HHS federal financial assistance, Harvard University is obligated to comply with Title VI,” the letter read.

—Staff writer William C. Mao can be reached at william.mao@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @williamcmao.

—Staff writer Veronica H. Paulus can be reached at veronica.paulus@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @VeronicaHPaulus.