'Egregious decision': Trump admin dealt major blow in Harvard grants case as court restores billions in funding
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Egregious decision': Trump admin dealt major blow in Harvard grants case as court restores billions in funding")
Harvard University campus Photograph: (AFP)
Judge Allison Burroughs in his ruling rejected the argument by the the government that the step to freeze the grants was against antisemitism on the school campus.
United States President Donald Trump's attempt to cut funding to Harvard University received a massive blow after a federal court ruled in favour of the Ivy League school in its effort to restore more than $2 billion in federal funding for research put on hold by the White House.
Judge Allison Burroughs in his ruling rejected the argument by the the government that the step to freeze the grants was against antisemitism on the school campus, and said that the Trump administration in revoking the research grants violated the university's free speech rights.
"The Court vacates and sets aside the Freeze Orders and Termination Letters as violative of the First Amendment," ruled the Boston-based Judge.
“Their actions have jeopardized decades of research and the welfare of all those who could stand to benefit from that research, as well as reflect a disregard for the rights protected by the Constitution and federal statutes,” Burroughs added.
White House says "egregious decision"
For the Harvard University the ruling is a landmark victory which the White House called "egregious decision" and said will appeal. In fact the Trump administration labelled the Judge as an "activist" who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.
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"Harvard does not have a constitutional right to taxpayer dollars and remains ineligible for grants in the future," assistant press secretary Liz Huston said.
While Alan Garber, president of the university, said "the ruling affirms Harvard's First Amendment and procedural rights".
What is the case?
In April, the Trump administration accusing the Ivy League university of antisemitism, "radical left" ideologies and racial bias took the decision of freezing the funding. But three other Ivy League universities, Columbia, Penn and Brown, that were at risk of a similar action against them struck a deal with the Trump administration to keep the funding flowing.
