Rep. Virginia Foxx, who is leading a House investigation into campus anti-Semitism, criticized Harvard University on Tuesday for turning over “useless” documents in response to subpoenas.
“I don’t know if it’s arrogance, ineptitude or indifference that drives Harvard,” Rep. Foxx, R-North Carolina, said in a statement. “Anyway, his actions to date are shameful.”
Many of the 2,500 pages were duplicates of documents already submitted, he said, and strong redactions made some documents worthless.
Harvard said it has been acting in good faith and since January has provided nearly 4,900 pages of material to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, not including any duplicate material.
The university also released a four-page document detailing how it has combated anti-Semitism on campus, including increased surveillance of social media and stricter enforcement of rules on protests. This overview was the only part of his presentation that Harvard made public; the committee did not publish 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, accepted and valued, and can thrive at Harvard,” said Jason Newton, a spokesman.
In early February, after Harvard’s first round of presentations, Rep. Foxx accused her of giving a “limited and dilatory” response. The university, he said, had provided letters from nonprofit organizations and copies of student handbooks that were publicly available.
Subpoenas soon followed, requesting “all minutes and/or summaries of meetings of the Harvard Corporation, whether formal or informal, since January 1, 2021,” among a wide range of other documents.
With Harvard and the House at odds, it’s unclear what the repercussions might be. “The committee is weighing an appropriate response to Harvard’s misconduct,” Rep. Foxx said.
The committee was already in uncharted territory. Harvard is the first university to be given a citation from the Committee on Education and the Workforce since its creation in 1867, according to Nick Barley, a spokesman for the committee.
The match is perhaps just the most visible example of the divisions that have gripped campus since the October 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel, with many Jewish students, alumni and donors saying Harvard was not doing enough to protect students. students from anti-Semitic slogans, messages and protests on campus.
Other universities have also been struggling with the challenges of responding to Hamas attacks and the growing death toll and hunger in Gaza, as the war continues and Campuses become the scene of bitter protests by pro-Palestinian students and some professors.
Rep. Foxx has also announced research into anti-Semitism at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, and MIT.
