Attorney General Bird Leads 16 States in Opposing Harvard’s Antisemitic Actions

DES MOINES— Attorney General Brenna Bird today led a 16-state coalition supporting President Trump’s efforts to hold Harvard accountable for its antisemitic and discriminatory conduct.   

When Harvard’s own Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Bias submitted its report to the Department of Justice, it revealed the alarming extent of antisemitism and discrimination on Harvard’s campus. That type of discrimination has long been illegal under federal law. Sadly, Harvard failed to address the misconduct, and President Trump responded by stopping Harvard’s funding. Instead of fixing its problems, Harvard sued, claiming the First Amendment protected its right to engage in discriminatory practices.  

“We stand firmly with the Trump Administration and against antisemitism,” said Attorney General Bird. “But Harvard does not. When President Trump acted to fix the rampant antisemitism on Harvard’s campus by restricting federal funding, Harvard sued. Harvard itself admits that antisemitism both exists and is a problem on its campus but is unwilling to address the issue. Jewish students deserve equal protection and access to education which is why I led a 16-state coalition to support President Trump’s actions.” 

This is not the first time a university has asserted that the First Amendment protects them from federal disciplinary action. When the federal government discovered that Bob Jones University was discriminating based on race in the 1980s, the government stripped its tax-exempt status. As the Supreme Court did then, the court in Harvard’s suit should hold that the federal government need not fund universities that practice illegal discrimination. Receiving federal dollars requires obeying federal antidiscrimination laws.  

Iowa led the brief and was joined by 15 other states, including Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Texas.  

Read the full brief here. 

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For More Information:

Jen Green | Communications Director

jen.green@ag.iowa.gov