Harvard under new fire for antisemitism task force pick
Harvard law student Jonathan Frieden weighs in after a professor who previously signed a letter accusing Israel of wanting to ethically cleanse Gaza was picked for the university's antisemitism task force.
House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., issued subpoenas to multiple leaders at Harvard University for "failing to produce priority documents" related to the committee's antisemitism investigation into the Ivy League school.
She previously threatened to issue subpoenas if Harvard did not produce sufficient documents on two of four priority requests and gave the university until 5 p.m. on Feb. 14 to do so.
"Last week, I made it very clear to Harvard that the documents it had produced up to that point were severely insufficient. I warned that a subpoena would be warranted if the university continued to miss the mark, giving it ample opportunity to correct course before compulsory measures were taken," Foxx said in a news release Friday. "Unfortunately, Harvard did not heed the Committee’s warning and once again failed to satisfy the Committee’s requests."
Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., issued subpoenas to three leaders at Harvard after the university failed to provide adequate documents for a House committee's investigation into antisemitism on campus. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Harvard is now required to produce 11 key areas of documentation showing what actions the university has taken, or will be taking, to ensure that Jewish students "feel safe and welcome on campus."
The subpoenas were served to Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Penny Pritzker, Interim President Dr. Alan Garber and Harvard Management Company's Chief Executive Officer N.P. Narvekar.
"It is my hope that these subpoenas serve as a wakeup call to Harvard that Congress will not tolerate antisemitic hate in its classrooms or on campus," Foxx said.
Pro-Palestinian protesters gather at Harvard University for an on-campus rally supporting Gaza on Oct. 14, 2023. (OSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)
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She added that she is "extremely disappointed" in Harvard's decision to not completely follow through with what the committee has asked of them related to the investigation. While she said the university has produced 2,516 pages of documents, over 40% of them were already publicly available.
"Harvard’s continued failure to satisfy the Committee’s requests is unacceptable. I will not tolerate delay and defiance of our investigation while Harvard’s Jewish students continue to endure the firestorm of antisemitism that has engulfed its campus," she said.
Harvard University is under investigation by the House committee Foxx leads after a congressional testimony led lawmakers to believe antisemitism is running rampant on campus. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Contributor)
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The decision to issue subpoenas came after multiple requests to Harvard for more information in the committee's investigation of antisemitic incidents on campus, which began on Dec. 20, 2023. Foxx said the initial request included "an extensive list of documents" that the committee planned to ask for – specifically for Harvard's benefit.
Notices were again sent on Jan. 9 and Jan. 23 to completely fulfill the requests of the committee before the warning was issued on Feb. 7.
"Given Harvard’s failure to satisfy the document requests delineated in the February 7 letter, and to avoid any further delay in its investigation, the Committee must now compel production of all responsive documents," Foxx wrote in cover letters accompanying the subpoenas.
The documents requested in the subpoenas must be produced by 5 p.m. on March 4.
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