Harvard’s response to subpoenas is called ‘useless’ by House committee
Rep. Virginia Foxx, who is leading a House investigation into anti-Semitism on campus, criticized Harvard University on Tuesday for turning over “useless” documents in response to subpoenas.
“I don’t know if it’s arrogance, incompetence or indifference that is leading Harvard,” Rep. Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina, said in a statement. “Either way, the actions to date are disgraceful.”
Many of the 2,500 pages were copies of previously submitted documents, she said, and extensive redactions left some of the documents worthless.
Harvard says it acted in good faith and has turned over nearly 4,900 pages of material to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce since January, with no duplicate material.
The university also released a four-page document detailing how it has combated anti-Semitism on campus, including increased monitoring of social media and stricter enforcement of rules on demonstrations. This overview was the only part of the submission that Harvard made public; the committee has not released any of the material.
“Harvard is focused on safety and ensuring a sense of belonging for our Jewish students so that every member of our community is protected, embraced and valued and can thrive at Harvard,” said Jason Newton, a spokesperson.
In early February, after Harvard’s first round of submissions, Rep. Foxx accused the university of a “limited and dilatory” response. The university, she said, had turned over letters from nonprofits and copies of student handbooks that were in the public domain.
Subpoenas soon followed, asking for “all minutes and/or summaries of Harvard Corporation meetings, formal or informal, since January 1, 2021,” along with a wide range of other documents.
Now that Harvard and the House of Representatives are at loggerheads, it is unclear what the consequences could be. “The committee is considering an appropriate response to Harvard’s misconduct,” said Rep. Foxx.
The committee was already in uncharted territory. Harvard is the first university to receive a subpoena from the Education and the Workforce Committee since its founding in 1867, said Nick Barley, a spokesman for the committee.
The impasse is perhaps the most visible example of the divisions that have emerged on campus since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, with many Jewish students, alumni and donors saying Harvard did not do enough to protect students from anti-Semitic slogans, social messaging and campus protests.
Other universities are also grappling with the challenges of responding to Hamas attacks and the rising death toll and hunger in Gaza as the war rages on and Campuses become the scene of bitter protests by pro-Palestinian students and some teachers.
Representative Foxx has also announced anti-Semitism investigations at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia and MIT
