US sues Harvard over alleged failure to protect Jewish students

The administration of US President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against Harvard University, alleging that it failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students. In a filing at a federal court in Boston, the Department of Justice argued that the university did not respond adequately to a hostile environment on campus.

According to the complaint, Harvard deliberately failed to enforce its own rules in cases involving Jewish or Israeli students. The government said this sent a message that those students did not have equal access to educational opportunities.

At the same time, the administration is seeking to recover billions of dollars in public funds. Harvard did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.

The move follows a recent demand by the administration for $1 billion from the university to settle investigations into its policies. Earlier figures had been significantly lower, at around $200 million.

The lawsuit also comes after a dispute in February, when the government accused Harvard of failing to cooperate with a federal investigation. Authorities subpoenaed documents to examine whether the institution had unlawfully taken race into account in its admissions process.

(reuters, max)