The Trump administration’s war with Harvard University continued on Monday as the Education Department and the Department of Health and Human Services launched a probe into the university’s law journal over its treatment of white contributors.
The investigation will focus on reports of the Harvard Law Review evaluating journal membership and article publication on the basis of race as opposed to merit. Civil rights law prohibits federal dollars from going toward entities that practice racial discrimination.
“Harvard Law Review’s article selection process appears to pick winners and losers on the basis of race, employing a spoils system in which the race of the legal scholar is as, if not more, important than the merit of the submission,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor. “Title VI’s demands are clear: recipients of federal financial assistance may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin. No institution—no matter its pedigree, prestige, or wealth—is above the law. The Trump Administration will not allow Harvard, or any other recipients of federal funds, to trample on anyone’s civil rights.”
The Trump administration specifically cited reports that a Harvard Law Review editor said it was “concerning” that four out of five individuals who wanted to reply to an article on police reform “are white men.” Another exampled listed by the administration was an editor at the journal saying “that a piece should be subject to expedited review because the author was a minority.”
Anthony Archeval, the acting Director of HHS Office for Civil Rights, said that these kinds of actions could set back students.
“Law journal membership and publication are crucial achievements that build momentum for law students’ careers and shape legal scholarship,” he said. “This investigation reflects the Administration’s common-sense understanding that these opportunities should be earned through merit-based standards and not race.”
In a statement, a spokesman for Harvard Law School noted that the Harvard Law Review was “a student-run organization.”
“Harvard Law School is committed to ensuring that the programs and activities it oversees are in compliance with all applicable laws and to investigating any credibly alleged violations. The Harvard Law Review is a student-run organization that is legally independent from the law school,” the spokesman told The Daily Wire.
The Trump administration has been battling with Harvard over its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and handling of anti-Israel protests. Earlier this month, the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard.
Last week, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Harvard was a “Far Left Institution” and “a threat to Democracy.”
