The Trump administration suspended dozens of research grants Tuesday to Princeton University, making it the latest Ivy League school to lose federal funding over allegations of anti-Semitism, as Princeton’s president vowed “to fight discrimination” and “defend academic freedom.” File Photo by 12019/10266/Pixabay/UPI
The Trump administration suspended dozens of research grants Tuesday to Princeton University, making it the latest Ivy League school to lose federal funding over allegations of anti-Semitism.
“The full rationale for this action is not yet clear, but I want to be clear about the principles that will guide our response,” Princeton president Christopher Eisgruber wrote in a letter to students and faculty, as he vowed Princeton will comply with the law. Advertisement
“We are committed to fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination, and we will cooperate with the government in combating anti-Semitism,” Eisgruber added. “Princeton will also vigorously defend academic freedom and the due process rights of this university.”
According to Eisgruber, Princeton received notifications from NASA, the Defense Department and the Department of Energy about the suspended research grants.
“I can confirm the Energy Department has paused grant funding to Princeton University pending the completion of the Department of Education’s investigation into Princeton regarding anti-Semitic harassment,” a spokesperson for the Department of Education told CNN.
Eisgruber has been vocal about the Trump administration as it suspended federal funding to other universities before Princeton was notified. Advertisement
“American universities have given the country prosperity and security,” Eisgruber wrote last month in The Atlantic. “The Trump administration’s attack on academic freedom endangers all of that.”
Both Harvard and Columbia have seen their federal funding slashed recently as the administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism conducts its investigation.
On Monday, the Education Department said it was reviewing $255.6 million in federal contracts and more than $8.7 billion in multi-year grant commitments to Harvard.
“Harvard’s failure to protect students on campus from anti-Semitic discrimination has put its reputation in serious jeopardy,” said Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
Last month, Columbia lost $400 million in grants and contracts after the Education Department accused the university of “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”
Columbia has since agreed to comply with the Task Force’s nine requirements in order to receive its canceled funds. Those preconditions include adherence to “all student visa and immigration laws,” an assessment of its “portfolio of regional studies programs” and clarification of restrictions on when “protests in academic buildings and other places necessary for the conduct of university activities, are unacceptable.”
Harvard president Alan Garber said Monday that the university “will engage with members of the federal government’s task force to combat anti-Semitism to ensure that they have a full account of the work we have done and the actions we will take up going forward to combat anti-Semitism.” Advertisement
