US judge delays Harvard funding case for a week amid govt shutdown

By Miles J. Herszenhorn

 

A federal judge in Boston agreed to a one-week delay in the Trump administration’s legal fight with Harvard University over more than $2 billion in research funding, after US Department of Justice lawyers cited challenges tied to the government shutdown.

 

US District Judge Allison Burroughs has already ruled in favour of Harvard in the case, declaring last month that the government had unlawfully sought to terminate research grants over the administration’s allegations that the university had not done enough to combat campus antisemitism. She has yet to issue a final judgment, but had asked for a status report by Friday on any potential objections to her ruling.

 

The Trump administration had asked for an indefinite pause during the shutdown, but Burroughs on Thursday only agreed to a delay in filing the status report until Oct. 10, according to a court filing. She said the government can renew its motion for postponement by that date. 

 

In their filing Wednesday, government lawyers cited their inability to work on civil litigation during the shutdown, and asked that “all current deadlines for the parties be extended” for the duration of the funding lapse. 

 

The government’s request for postponement came one day after President Donald Trump said the administration had nearly reached a $500 million deal with Harvard to resolve the months-long conflict by “operating trade schools.” After Trump made his comments in the White House on Tuesday, Harvard officials did not respond to a request for comment or offer any indication that a settlement agreement was imminent. 

 

A spokesman for the university declined to comment on the request for a pause in the case. According to the government filing, Harvard’s lawyers have agreed to the pause. 

 

However, the Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors, which also sued the administration, opposed the motion. In a filing Thursday, the chapter said pausing the case is “unwarranted and would needlessly delay entry of final judgment.” 

 

The AAUP lawyers urged Burroughs to deny the US request and enter a final judgment, adding that talks between the parties over implementation issues had already stalled prior to the government shutdown. 

 

The Harvard faculty plaintiffs are not involved in the negotiations between the university and the Trump administration over a potential settlement.

 

The federal government shutdown began Wednesday morning after Republican and Democratic lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on a spending bill before the start of the new fiscal year.

 

The case is Harvard v. US Department of Health and Human Services, 25-cv-11048, US District Court, District of Massachusetts (Boston).