Secretary of Education slams 'Obama-appointed judge' behind Harvard ruling, commits to court fight
After a federal judge's ruling reversed a funding freeze that locked up more than $2 billion for Harvard University, the Trump administration appears ready to continue the fight.
The ruling may be appealed, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon vowing to fight the "erroneous decision" in court.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon wasted no time blasting a federal judge’s ruling that reversed the Trump administration’s $2 billion funding freeze on Harvard University, pledging that the administration will take the case to higher courts.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, an Obama appointee, sided with Harvard and ruled that the administration’s decision to cut billions in federal research grants amounted to unconstitutional retaliation. In her 84-page opinion, Burroughs accused the administration of using antisemitism as a “smokescreen” for political reforms it sought to impose on the Ivy League school, including eliminating DEI offices and adopting viewpoint diversity standards.
The decision immediately restored Harvard’s access to billions in federal research dollars and signaled to other universities that they could be shielded from what the court described as politically motivated funding actions.
But McMahon, in a pointed response on X, rejected the ruling outright.
”In an unsurprising turn of events,” McMahon wrote in the post, “the same Obama-appointed judge that ruled in favor of Harvard’s illegal race-based admissions practices – which was ultimately overturned by the Supreme Court – just ruled against the Trump Administration’s efforts to hold Harvard accountable for rampant discrimination on campus.”
McMahon said the Trump administration is “fully committed to appealing this erroneous decision” and ensuring taxpayer money does not go to institutions that fail to respect students’ civil rights.
The case stems from Harvard’s refusal to adopt reforms demanded by a White House task force earlier this year. Those reforms included dismantling DEI offices, granting the federal government expanded oversight authority, and tightening policies to prevent antisemitic harassment. When Harvard declined, the administration froze active research grants and even threatened to challenge the school’s tax-exempt status.
While Burroughs’ ruling represents a temporary victory for Harvard, the Trump administration has made clear that it will continue pressing its case, potentially all the way to the Supreme Court. McMahon and other administration officials argue that universities accepting taxpayer dollars must be held to the same nondiscrimination standards as any other federally funded institution.
The fight over Harvard’s billions could now become a protracted court battle, one that could shape how much power future administrations hold over universities accused of civil rights violations.
