House Republicans are accusing Harvard University of hindering an investigation into an alleged attack on a Jewish student, expressing their frustration in a letter sent on Wednesday. The letter, addressed to Harvard President Alan Garber, was written by Virginia Foxx, chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and committee member Elise Stefanik. It focuses on concerns about Harvard’s cooperation in an ongoing investigation into antisemitism, particularly following claims that the university has not helped in identifying students involved in the attack.
“We write, yet again, to express our serious concern and sincere outrage over Harvard University’s handling of antisemitism in the wake of the October 7 Hamas terror attacks,” the letter begins. “Harvard has continued its rapid decline, its latest actions consisting of willfully obstructing the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office from investigating a physical assault against a Harvard Jewish student that took place on Harvard’s campus. Such behavior is wholly unbecoming of a supposedly prestigious university—and, frankly, of any decent institution.”
The letter references an October 18th incident where a Jewish student was allegedly “physically assaulted and harassed” by protestors. It accuses the university of failing to take appropriate disciplinary measures, despite several reports of the incident being made to university officials. While the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office has charged two individuals, who were identified from video footage, Harvard is being criticized for not assisting in identifying the other students involved and for sidelining campus police who were involved in the investigation.
Foxx and Stefanik claim that these delays in court proceedings have been caused by Harvard’s lack of cooperation. “In other words, Harvard is shielding those who physically assaulted a Jewish student on Harvard’s campus by preventing a state prosecutor from moving forward with the state’s investigation,” they wrote. “This incident is the latest chapter in Harvard protecting antisemites. We are disgusted by the continued disregard that Harvard has shown towards the Jew hatred erupting on its campus. It is clear from Harvard’s recent actions that it does not take antisemitism seriously. Instead, Harvard harbors and protects it.”
The letter calls on the university to hand over all relevant communications and documents about the case by the end of September. The Republicans expressed their dissatisfaction, writing, “It is obvious from Harvard’s latest stint in obstructionism that it believes protecting its campus antisemites is more important than providing a safe learning environment to all its students.” They added, “This decision is unacceptable, and Harvard must make public its decision and reasons for its lack of cooperation with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.”
The investigation into antisemitism at Harvard and other elite universities, including MIT and the University of Pennsylvania, was initiated after their presidents testified on campus antisemitism, failing to confirm whether calls for genocide against Jews would violate university policy. Former Harvard president Claudine Gay resigned following the backlash.