The White House has indicated that a sharply worded letter sent to Harvard University on April 11 was never intended to be delivered, according to a report by The New York Times. The letter, which outlined sweeping and controversial demands, has since been described by administration officials as unauthorized.
Signed by senior officials from three federal agencies, the letter demanded, among other actions, that Harvard derecognize pro-Palestine groups, submit to years of federal audits, and report international students who violated conduct rules. Its contents were a significant escalation from an earlier, more general communication sent on April 3.
According to sources cited by The Times, Harvard had been seeking clarification on the vague initial letter, which called for the elimination of mask-wearing at protests and the end of diversity programming. Instead, the April 11 follow-up stunned university officials with what they viewed as excessive and likely unlawful demands.
Shortly after Harvard President Alan Garber publicly rejected the terms, one of the letter’s signatories informed Harvard’s legal team that the message had been prepared but was not meant to be sent at that time. Despite this admission, a White House official later defended the administration’s demands and criticized Harvard for failing to engage constructively.
Internal discussions at Harvard revealed that senior administrators and governing board members believe the aggressive letter was sent in error. However, by the time this view gained traction, the fallout had already intensified. The administration proceeded to cut $2.2 billion in federal grants and contracts to the University.
Source: Harvard Crimson, NYT