Source : NEW INDIAN EXPRESS NEWS
Last Monday, Harvard said it would not comply, citing the First Amendment. The following day, Trump took to his Truth Social platform, questioning whether the university should lose its tax-exempt status “if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’”
The lawsuit follows one filed earlier this month by the American Association of University Professors demanding a federal judge declare unlawful and put aside a pending review and investigation of Harvard’s funding.
The university frames the government’s demands as a threat not only to the Ivy League school but to the autonomy the Supreme Court has long granted American universities.
“Today, we stand for the values that have made American higher education a beacon for the world,” Garber wrote Monday to the Harvard community.
“We stand for the truth that colleges and universities across the country can embrace and honor their legal obligations and best fulfill their essential role in society without improper government intrusion,” he added.
Anurima Bhargava, one of the alumni who has encouraged Harvard to take a tougher stand against the administration, praised the filing of the lawsuit.
“The Trump administration continues its reckless and unlawful attack for power and control over Harvard, slashing billions in funding for scientific research and innovation that improves and saves lives,” she said. “Today, Harvard once again refused to accede to the administration’s dangerous and escalating demands.”
The American Council on Education, a nonprofit with more than 1,600 member colleges and universities, applauded Harvard.
“It has been clear for weeks that the administration’s actions violated due process and the rule of law. We applaud Harvard for taking this step and look forward to a clear and unambiguous statement by the court rebuking efforts to undermine scholarship and science,” said Ted Mitchell, the council’s president.
SOURCE :- NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
