The Trump administration has opened a federal civil rights investigation into Harvard University and the Harvard Law Review, following allegations that race played a decisive role in editorial decisions and contributor selection at the prestigious legal journal.
The Departments of Education and Health and Human Services are leading the probe, focusing on whether the Harvard Law Review violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in any institution receiving federal funding.
At the center of the investigation are reports that the Law Review may have prioritized submissions from minority authors over those judged solely on academic merit. According to internal communications and editor statements under review, race and identity factors allegedly influenced which articles were selected and which contributors were fast-tracked for inclusion. Concerns were especially raised after editors reportedly discouraged responses to a police reform article because the interested authors were white men.
Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor stated that the Law Review’s selection process “appears to pick winners and losers on the basis of race,” calling it a “spoils system” that elevates identity politics over academic merit.
This investigation coincides with broader efforts by the Trump administration to confront what it sees as discriminatory practices embedded in higher education institutions under the guise of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Harvard is already facing legal and financial pressure from the federal government over a $2.3 billion funding freeze, which was enacted after the university refused to curb politically motivated campus activism and address allegations of antisemitic environments in certain departments.
Administration officials have also signaled they are reviewing Harvard’s access to foreign student visa programs and its federal tax-exempt status as part of a wider crackdown on ideological discrimination and misuse of federal resources.
Harvard University has denied any wrongdoing and is attempting to distance itself from the Harvard Law Review, which is run independently by students. The university claims it is in full compliance with federal civil rights laws and has filed suit against the administration to challenge the funding freeze. A court hearing is scheduled for July 21 to review the dispute.
The probe into the Harvard Law Review highlights the Trump administration’s aggressive posture toward race-based policies in academia, with officials promising to hold all federally funded institutions accountable for what they describe as politicized and discriminatory practices.