Harvard President Alan Garber declines to testify at a Senate hearing on higher education issues. Committee Chair Sen. Cassidy expresses disappointment, noting concerns about “tolerance of antisemitism” on campus.
Harvard University President Alan Garber has declined an invitation to testify at an upcoming Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing focused on “issues in higher education,” Committee Chair Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said, according to JNS.
Cassidy expressed his disappointment with Garber’s decision, stating, “I invited Harvard to testify. It is my firm belief that every person and institution should have the right to make their case.”
The hearing comes amidst ongoing concerns regarding antisemitism on Harvard’s campus. “There appears to have been tolerance of antisemitism on Harvard’s campus,” Sen. Cassidy noted. “This would have been the chance for Harvard to emphasize its value as a research institution and to tell the committee and the country how it is addressing antisemitism.”
While Harvard will not be represented, the Wednesday hearing will feature testimony from Michael Lindsay, president of Taylor University, and Mark Brown, president of Tuskegee University.
Harvard has been contending with the loss of approximately $2.7 billion in federal grants and contracts in the wake of its failure to handle a surge in antisemitism on campus.
In addition to the funding cuts, President Donald Trump has also advocated for revoking the university’s tax-exempt status.
Last month, Harvard initiated legal proceedings in an attempt to lift the grant freeze. In its lawsuit, it says that Harvard is currently covering the lost funding from its $53.2 billion endowment but warns that this is unsustainable.
Several weeks ago, Harvard published two internal reviews detailing incidents of discrimination against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab students during last year’s protests. The reports found that some students feared marginalization for expressing political views.Last month, Harvard initiated legal proceedings in an attempt to lift the grant freeze. In its lawsuit, it says that Harvard is currently covering the lost funding from its $53.2 billion endowment but warns that this is unsustainable.
Several weeks ago, Harvard published two internal reviews detailing incidents of discrimination against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab students during last year’s protests. The reports found that some students feared marginalization for expressing political views.
