CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — City Councilor Patty Nolan said it’s not customary for Cambridge officials to get involved in Harvard’s internal affairs.
“That’s not our job,” she said.
But Nolan said they almost have no choice but to get involved in Harvard’s stand-off with the Trump Administration over federal aid.
“This is something that could potentially affect the entire city, our economy, the broader region,” she said.
That something is $9 billion worth of federal contracts and grants earmarked for Harvard, but currently under ‘review’ by the Trump Administration -- which is threatening to withhold the money unless Harvard takes more steps to battle supposed antisemitism.
Friday, the Harvard faculty chapter of the American Association of University Professors filed suit to block the ‘review’ and get the funds released.
That same group held a rally Saturday on Cambridge Common, urging the university to stand up to White House demands.
“We are here today because our universities are under attack,” said Kirsten Weld, an associate professor of history at Harvard. “The attack is not coming for the nice brick buildings. It’s coming for people. It’s coming for us.”
“We are all here to send a message,” said Harvard Law Professor Nikolas Bowie. “When Harvard stands up, we will stand with it.”
Also standing up at the rally -- international students rattled by recent seizures and deportations of others in college.
“I didn’t travel 5,000 miles all the way from Pakistan just to be afraid of walking five feet out of my dorm,” said one.
“If coming from Austria teaches you one thing, it is how aspiring dictators kill democracies from within,” said another.
Nolan said Harvard is uniquely positioned to balk at contingencies on federal money. The university’s endowment is the largest in the world -- at $52 billion.
Harvard has not yet responded to questions from Boston 25 regarding the held-up funds -- and whether the university is satisfied with its efforts to combat antisemitism.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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