CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) – An apology from America’s oldest university.
Harvard released reports about anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim sentiment on campus.
President Dr. Alan Garber wrote a letter, saying in part, “The 2023-24 academic year was disappointing and painful. I am sorry for the moments when we failed to meet the high expectations we rightfully set for our community. The grave, extensive impact of the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel and its aftermath had serious repercussions on our campus.”
The report lists specific incidents including a faculty member allowing a student to refuse to work with an Israeli classmate.
“In their view a student who supported the cause of an oppressed group should not be forced to work with a student identified as a member of an “oppressor group.”
Students on campus reacted to the report.
“I think it was a long statement with a lot of beautiful words and a very long statement but in reality I don’t think polarization on the campus is going to be solved by you know another task force, another report, it is going to have to come from all of us,” said Harvard student Leo Gerde’m.
Because of the reports of anti-Semitism on campus, the Trump administration is pulling billions of dollars in federal funding from Harvard.
The school also faces a deadline from the Department of Homeland Security. The agency wants Harvard to provide records of illegal activities by students on visas or risk losing the ability to enroll them.
Students rallied Tuesday afternoon as they say the school faces attacks from the administration on several fronts.
“To be honest for me and a lot of international students at Harvard are really scared right now because it’s been a dream for us to come to this school. To study and for many of us of staying in the country and now all of that could be taken away from us because we’re being used essentially as poker chips in a battle between Harvard and the White House,” said Gerde’m.
“We believe that not only is it not helping Jewish students, this assault on universities but we don’t even believe it is about us. We think it’s a cover to tackle independence of universities, put international students on threat,” said Harvard student Tova Kaplan.
Governor Maura Healey applauded her Alma Mater.
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