House Education Committee subpoenas Harvard University leaders in anti-Semitism investigation

The House Education Committee on Friday announced a subpoena against Harvard University leadership, accusing the school of failing to provide documents needed for the committee's anti-Semitism investigation.

The subpoenas against Harvard University Senior Fellow Penny Pritzker, Interim President Alan Garber, and Harvard Management Company CEO NP Narvekar are the first ever issued against a university by the House of Representatives.

School Board President Virginia Foxx, RN.C., claims the escalation was necessary because very few of the more than 2,500 documents submitted by schools met previous document requests.

“I am extremely disappointed in the path Harvard University has chosen in its committee's investigation,” Fox said in a statement, noting that more than 40% of the documents produced have already been made public. “Quality, not quantity, is the committee's concern.”

The committee reviewed Pritzker and Gerber's documents regarding anti-Semitic behavior on campus in 2021 and beyond, documents from the Anti-Semitism Task Force created after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Harvard University and the Board of Overseers. We are requesting the submission of meeting minutes from 2021 onwards. Mr. Narvekar is tasked with providing the minutes of Harvard Management Company meetings from October 7th to January 2nd.

Harvard University has until March 4 to submit the documents.

The investigation comes as Harvard has become a top target for lawmakers since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas and the rise of anti-Semitism on college campuses.

“Harvard's failure to meet the committee's demands is unacceptable. I condemn the investigation's delays and defiance while Harvard's Jewish students continue to endure the firestorm of anti-Semitism that has engulfed the campus. “We do not tolerate it. If Harvard was truly committed to combating anti-Semitism, it would have had every opportunity to demonstrate that commitment with actions, not words,” Fox said.

The Ivy League school insists it complied with the committee's requests and provided sufficient documentation requested.

“While the subpoena was unwarranted, Harvard University continues to cooperate with the committee and provide additional materials while protecting the legitimate privacy, safety, and security concerns of our community,” the spokesperson said. said.

“Anti-Semitism has no place in the Harvard University community. We are committed to combating anti-Semitism, in whatever form it may take, and to ensuring that Jewish students are safe and secure at Harvard University. We remain steadfast in our ongoing efforts to make you feel valued and accepted,” they added.