Trump admin hits Harvard with race-based discrimination investigation

The Trump administration is ramping up its fight against Harvard, launching investigations Monday into the university and the Harvard Law Review for alleged race-based discrimination.The big picture: The administration has employed a pressure campaign against the Ivy League school, coming down on the university with several actions including a $2.2 billion funding freeze and considerations to revoke its tax-exempt status and its eligibility to host foreign students.Driving the news: The civil rights offices of the departments of Education and Health and Human Services are investigating allegations that the Harvard Law Review, which is published by a student-run group, makes decisions in its article selections process based on race, per an Education Department statement.The departments will look to determine whether there were Title VI violations, and they'll examine Harvard's relationship with the journal, including financial ties, oversight procedures and selection policies."Harvard Law Review's article selection process appears to pick winners and losers on the basis of race, employing a spoils system in which the race of the legal scholar is as, if not more, important than the merit of the submission," said Craig Trainor, the Education Department's acting assistant secretary for civil rights, in a statement.What they're saying: "Harvard Law School is committed to ensuring that the programs and activities it oversees are in compliance with all applicable laws and to investigating any credibly alleged violations," spokesperson Jeff Neal told Axios in an emailed statement.He noted that the Harvard Law Review is a student-run organization legally independent from the law school."A claim brought in 2018 was dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts," Neal added.The university and the Harvard Law Review did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment Monday evening.Go deeper: Harvard sues Trump administration over funding freezeEditor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Harvard spokesperson Jeff Neal.

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