White House states that letter to Harvard making demands was an ‘unauthorized’ error: NYT

The White House letter sent to Harvard University, which outlined a list of demands regarding the university’s hiring and admissions practices, was issued without proper authorization, according to reports from the New York Times, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the situation. The letter, dated April 11, called for the elimination of Harvard’s DEI programs and the screening of international students for ideological concerns, among other significant changes, and was deemed “unauthorized” by these sources.

While the authenticity of the letter’s contents is acknowledged, there were “differing accounts within the administration regarding how it had been mishandled,” the Times reported. The letter was signed by Josh Gruenbaum, the commissioner of the General Services Administration; Sean R. Kevney, the acting general counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services; and Thomas E. Wheeler, the acting general counsel of the Department of Education.

A spokesperson for Harvard stated that “the letter Harvard received on Friday, April 11, was signed by three federal officials, appeared on official letterhead, was sent from the email account of a senior federal official, and was received on April 11 as promised.” The spokesperson noted, “Recipients of such correspondence from the U.S. government—even when it contains sweeping demands that are astonishing in their overreach—do not question its authenticity or seriousness.”

The spokesperson added, “It remains unclear to us exactly what, among the government’s recent words and actions, were mistakes or what the government intended to accomplish.” They also remarked, “Even if the letter was a mistake, the actions the government took this week have real-life consequences for students, patients, employees, and the reputation of American higher education globally.”

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the report from the New York Times. The April 11 letter triggered a public dispute between the White House and Harvard, with the university rejecting the demands outlined in the letter on Monday, which placed nearly $9 billion in federal funding at risk. In response, the White House indicated it would freeze approximately $2.2 billion in grants to the university.

According to the New York Times, the April 11 letter was sent while Harvard’s legal team was engaged in discussions with the White House about the university’s handling of antisemitism and other related issues.