Harvard officials subpoenaed in House investigation

Committee seeks more documents about antisemitism

“It is my hope that these subpoenas serve as a wake-up call to Harvard that Congress will not tolerate antisemitic hate in its classrooms or on campus.”

VIRGINIA FOXX, R-N.C. COMMITTEE CHAIR

A House committee served subpoenas Friday to Harvard officials to compel the university to turn over more documents in its investigation into campus antisemitism.

The legal directives marked a significant escalation in a high-profile sparring match between lawmakers and university leaders that has left powerful institutions such as Harvard on the defensive, and raised questions about academic freedom, safety on campus and the boundaries of free speech.

The scrutiny has intensified as tensions flared up at many colleges and universities after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and there have been an increase in reports of antisemitism on campuses.

More scrutiny

Harvard, in particular, has been singled out by lawmakers as a target.

Its former leader, Claudine Gay, was among three college presidents summoned to testify before a House panel on antisemitism in December. Gay later resigned amid mounting criticism of her testimony and plagiarism allegations.

The university said it has produced thousands of pages of documents for lawmakers. But the panel’s leaders have called the responses inadequate. The committee is still seeking, among other things, details from meetings of Harvard’s two most powerful governing boards and the entity that manages the school’s endowment, and all communications about antisemitism involving the governing boards.

“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,” Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said in a statement Friday. The school has had every opportunity to demonstrate its stated commitment to combating antisemitism with actions, not words, she said.

Previous threats

Foxx had previously threatened to issue a subpoena if the university didn’t submit certain “priority” documents this week. “It is my hope that these subpoenas serve as a wake-up call to Harvard that Congress will not tolerate antisemitic hate in its classrooms or on campus.”

The subpoenas were served to Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Penny Pritzker; the university’s interim president, Alan Garber; and Harvard Management Company’s chief executive, N.P. Narvekar. The committee ordered the officials to provide certain documents by March 4.

The committee has also recently requested documents from the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.