Harvard University was told by an unidentified official on US President Donald Trump’s antisemitism task force that a letter of demands had been sent to the university without authorisation, The New York Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The letter included a series of demands about hiring, admissions and curriculum, which started a legal battle between the university and the White House.
The letter was sent by the acting general counsel of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Sean Keveney, the Times said, citing three unidentified people who were briefed on the matter. Keveney, who is also a member of the government’s antisemitism task force, could not be reached for comment, the paper said.
Harvard on Saturday said it had no reason to doubt the seriousness or authenticity of a letter it received from the government this month despite it containing demands that were “astonishing in their overreach”.
What’s more, even if it was sent in error as reported, the administration has only intensified its attack on the university through a series of actions that hurt students, patients and the standing of higher education, a university spokesman warned.
“The letter that Harvard received on Friday, April 11, was signed by three federal officials, placed on official letterhead, was sent from the email inbox of a senior federal official, and was sent on April 11 as promised,” a university spokesman said.
