Harvard Lawsuit Could Reign Supreme

Experts tell Newsweek how the university may win over conservative judges in legal action against the Trump administration’s freeze on research funding

- by ANDREW STANTON

HARVARD UNIVERSITY'S LAWSUIT against the Trump administration may persuade Supreme Court conservative justices, such as Neil Gorsuch and John Roberts, to rule against President Donald Trump if the case reaches the court, legal experts say.

The Trump administration is facing a lawsuit from Harvard over its freeze on more than $2.2 billion in research grants after the university declined to comply with administration demands, including limiting campus activism, changing admissions policies and restructuring its governance. Harvard said the freeze violates its First Amendment rights, while the Trump administration argued the freeze is necessary because Harvard allegedly failed to mitigate on-campus antisemitism.

The complaint filed on April 21 said the administration hasn’t identified “any rational connection between antisemitism concerns” and the research facing grant freezes. It also stated the funding freeze would damage research that aims to “foster American success” and “preserve American security.”

Several legal analysts said the case may make its way to the Supreme Court, which would be tasked with weighing in on whether the freeze violates Harvard’s right to free speech. Precedent suggests even some of the court’s conservative justices may back the university. Newsweek reached out to the White House and Harvard for comment.

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told