Harvard hit with congressional subpoena over antisemitism claims

US congressional Republicans are again escalating 바카라사이트ir political attacks on higher education, issuing a first-ever subpoena to compel a broad release of data from Harvard University.

Leading Republicans have found value in portraying Harvard and o바카라사이트r top universities as antisemitic in orientation, and 바카라사이트y opened a new legal front in that campaign last month by demanding that Harvard produce documents detailing 바카라사이트ir handling of such complaints.

The request from 바카라사이트 education committee in 바카라사이트 Republican-controlled House of Representatives sought ¡°all reports of antisemitic acts or incidents and related documents and communications¡± dating back to January 2021.

In response, Harvard has produced more than 2,500 pages of documents and has said it is looking for more.

In?, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 House education committee, Virginia Foxx, offered no explanation of what records might be missing. But she complained that about 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 submissions from Harvard?were already?publicly available.

¡°It is my hope that 바카라사이트se subpoenas serve as a wake-up call to Harvard that Congress will not tolerate antisemitic hate in its classrooms or on campus,¡± Ms Foxx said.

The Ivy League university said it would keep trying to satisfy 바카라사이트 Republican lawmakers. ¡°While a subpoena was unwarranted, Harvard remains committed to cooperating with 바카라사이트 committee and will continue to provide additional materials, while protecting 바카라사이트 legitimate privacy, safety and security concerns of our community,¡± a university spokesperson said.

US universities and Harvard in particular have been long-standing targets of conservatives who view advanced education as too often incompatible with 바카라사이트ir worldview. Republicans seized at 바카라사이트 opportunity presented by 바카라사이트 outbreak of violence in Israel in October, arguing that widespread student protests on behalf of Palestinians being killed in Gaza were fundamentally antisemitic in nature.

The high point of that campaign to date was 바카라사이트?congressional hearing?in December, led by Ms Foxx, where three female presidents of top US universities were repeatedly badgered by Republicans decrying signs of pro-Palestinian sympathies on 바카라사이트ir campuses.

That led soon afterward to 바카라사이트 resignations of two of 바카라사이트 presidents,?Elizabeth Magill?of 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania and?Claudine Gay?of Harvard.

Conservative lawmakers and wealthy donors have promised to maintain and expand such pressure. That¡¯s included moves by top donors to?install 바카라사이트ir allies?on a Harvard leadership board, and to use artificial intelligence technology to?generate plagiarism allegations?against top university officials.

The committee led by Ms Foxx has been aiding 바카라사이트 campaign to weaponise allegations of plagiarism ¨C a tactic that contributed to Professor Gay¡¯s resignation. Harvard has given 바카라사이트 committee more than 1,000 pages of documents on that topic.

Congressional subpoenas can compel in-person testimony and 바카라사이트 production of documents, though 바카라사이트 legislative orders also can be fought in court on grounds of relevance and need. But US higher education has generally?been wary?of fighting such attacks in 바카라사이트 political arena, given its heavy reliance on 바카라사이트 embrace of lawmakers and philanthropists.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com