According to The Wall Street Journal, Harvard University President Alan Garber has strongly criticized US President Donald Trump's renewed threats to revoke the university's tax-exempt status. In an interview with the newspaper, Garber described the potential action as "highly illegal" and warned it would have a devastating impact on Harvard and other educational institutions.
Garber emphasized that Trump's threats send "a very dire message" to the education sector, suggesting that political disagreements could become grounds for existential threats to numerous institutions.
"If the government goes through with the plan to revoke our tax-exempt status, it would, No. 1, be highly illegal, unless there is some reasoning that we have not been exposed to that would justify this dramatic move," Garber stated. "But tax-exempt status is granted to educational institutions to enable them to successfully carry out their mission of education and for research universities of research. Obviously, that would be severely impaired if we were to lose our tax-exempt status."
Since taking office in January, Trump has taken multiple measures against Harvard, including freezing federal funding, initiating investigations, and revoking student visas, as part of efforts to pressure the university into implementing reforms aligned with his administration's demands.
Last month, Harvard filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Trump administration, alleging that its actions violated constitutionally protected rights and endangered academic independence.
Related News:
Trump threatens to revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status amid legal battle
Comment