Whistleblower Says Trump Predetermined 3 Ivy Antisemitism Probes, Steering $250 Million in Settlements
Updated
Updated · ms.now · Aug 18
Whistleblower Says Trump Predetermined 3 Ivy Antisemitism Probes, Steering $250 Million in Settlements
3 articles · Updated · ms.now · Aug 18
Summary
Haley Van Erem told Congress the Trump administration’s civil-rights findings against Harvard, Brown and Columbia were politically pre-baked, with standard procedures bypassed and investigative conclusions overridden.
Her complaint says officials suspended hundreds of millions of dollars before Title VI probes were finished, launched one inquiry from a single New York Post article, and pressed Brown toward settlement after staff found no violation.
Brown later agreed to spend $50 million on Rhode Island workforce development and Columbia agreed to pay $200 million over three years, both without admitting wrongdoing; Harvard fought instead and won dismissal of the DOJ case.
U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns said the Harvard allegations relied on incidents too old and too isolated to plausibly show a Title VI violation, reinforcing Van Erem’s claim that evidence was thin.
The complaint also alleges investigators were told to question Middle East studies professors, especially Muslims; DOJ said Van Erem did not work on the university probes and stands by their integrity.