Administration's freeze on billions in Harvard funds found to be unlawful by judge
A federal judge in Boston has ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully froze more than $2 billion in research funding at Harvard University. Judge Allison Burroughs, in an 84-page document handed down on Wednesday, found that the research funding freeze violated Harvard's First Amendment rights.
The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Harvard University against the Trump administration. The lawsuit was prompted by the research funding freeze put in place by the administration in response to allegations of antisemitism on Harvard's campus.
In her ruling, Judge Burroughs noted that Harvard was already taking steps to address antisemitism when the funding freeze was implemented. However, she found that the university could have done a better job of dealing with the issue. None of the research being defunded, she stated, had any clear connection to antisemitism on campus.
The research being defunded included studies on Alzheimer's, cancer, Lou Gehrig's disease, heart disease, autism, and a study to help emergency room doctors better serve suicidal veterans. The ruling did not specify any immediate changes to the research funding freeze at Harvard.
Harvard President Alan Garber pledged to continue assessing the implications of the ruling, monitoring further legal developments, and being mindful of the changing landscape. This ruling is expected to strengthen Harvard's bargaining position in ongoing negotiations with the White House regarding a potential settlement agreement.
The White House has not yet provided details about the appeal process or the timeline for appealing the ruling. Further legal developments regarding this case are expected in the coming weeks or months. White House spokesperson Liz Huston announced that they will appeal the ruling, expressing confidence in ultimately prevailing.
NPR education correspondent Cory Turner has been looking over the judge's ruling and will provide further updates as the case unfolds.
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