The head of the House committee investigating allegations of antisemitism on Harvard’s campus has criticized the Ivy League school for its “grossly inadequate” response to the committee’s request for documents and warned that the university could face “compulsory action” if it continues to fail to comply with the inquiry.
Harvard has until 5 p.m. Tuesday to turn over all documents related to Jewish students and antisemitism on campus — including internal emails and text messages between board members, evidence that students and staff faced disciplinary action for harassment of Jewish students and funding documents — especially those showing contributions from Qatari sources.
But Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, said university officials have so far only turned over publicly available documents.
“Rather than respond substantively to the committee’s request, Harvard has chosen to provide letters from nonprofit organizations and student handbooks, many of which are already publicly available,” Foxx said in a statement.
“This is unacceptable,” he continued. “Harvard must submit the remaining documents on time, or risk mandatory action.”
Rep. Virginia Foxx slammed Harvard’s response to the House Education and Workforce Committee’s response to the document, as she filed a similar request at the University of Pennsylvania. CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
Such “mandatory measures” could include subpoenas, Nick Barley, a spokesman for the committee, told The Post.
The Post has reached out to Harvard for comment.
In a statement to Bloomberg, spokesman Jason Newton said the university is committed to cooperating with the congressional investigation, providing information and addressing its questions.
“We strongly condemn any form of antisemitism and are committed to the safety and well-being of our students,” he said. “We intend to continue to engage with the committee in dialogue to respond to their ongoing requests.”
In addition, the committee sent officials at the University of Pennsylvania a similar request for documents as it investigates allegations of antisemitism on that campus.
Harvard University officials have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to hand over a batch of documents related to antisemitism on campus. The committee sent another request for information to University of Pennsylvania officials as it investigates allegations of antisemitism there.
Foxx wrote in a 14-page letter to university chairman Ramanan Raghevendan and interim president Larry Jameson on Wednesday that the committee has “grave concerns about the inadequacy of Penn’s response to antisemitism on campus.”
He cited several instances where school property has been vandalized with antisemitic graffiti, including an incident in late October in which a Jewish fraternity house was scrawled with “The Jews R Nazis.”
Two Jewish students have also alleged in a civil lawsuit that Jews on campus were “routinely subjected to vile and threatening antisemitic taunts and chants,” Foxx said.
As a result of these antisemitic actions, a December 2023 Brandeis University study that surveyed Jewish students on 51 college campuses after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel “placed Penn in the worst category, ‘Highest antisemitic hostility,’” Foxx wrote in his letter Wednesday.
The request to Harvard officials demands that it turn over evidence that students and staff faced disciplinary action for harassment of Jewish students. Twitter/@AvivaKlompas
But antisemitism was rampant on campus before the attack, with the university hosting a Palestinian literary festival in September that featured speakers calling for “Death to Israel,” the congressman said.
Later, when asked whether calling for the genocide of the Jews violated the school’s code of conduct, then-president Liz Magill claimed that it was a “context-dependent decision.”
Although he and former board chairman Scott Bok have resigned from their positions, “Penn’s institutional failure on antisemitism extends far beyond the two leaders,” Foxx argued.
Other university officials, he claimed, had “demonstrated a clear double standard by tolerating antisemitic vandalism, harassment and intimidation, but repressing and punishing other expressions deemed problematic,” citing “many … cases of Penn canceling or allowing speech it disapproved of.” .”
In Wednesday’s request, Foxx cited several instances where university property has been vandalized with antisemitic graffiti. Robert Miller
Foxx called on the university to also turn over all internal communications, board meeting minutes and evidence that students and staff faced disciplinary action for harassment of Jewish students.
He also asked the university to provide any documents “related to or reflecting” the Palestine Writing Festival as well as documents “sufficient to demonstrate any changes to Penn’s governance and code of conduct documents” following the October 7 terrorist attacks. .
The university has until February 7 to submit many documents.
The Post has reached out to University of Pennsylvania officials for comment.
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