GW Weekly Federal Update (July 3)

Recent Federal Actions

• The latest on federal actions related to Harvard University: In the June 26 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported that Harvard and the Trump administration were in discussions to potentially settle their ongoing disputes. In the meantime, on June 30, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued Harvard a notice of violation that it acted with deliberate indifference towards harassment of Jewish and Israeli students by other students and faculty from October 7, 2023 to the present, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In a press release, OCR reported that its findings are based on “information and documents obtained during the investigation: Harvard’s policies and procedures; conclusions from Harvard’s own internal Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias; findings from a U.S. Congressional task force that investigated antisemitism on college campuses; and reliable media reports that contemporaneously depicted antisemitic episodes of vandalism, harassment, and physical violence over a 19-month period at Harvard.”
  
  Also, in the June 5 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported that President Trump issued a proclamation temporarily preventing international students from entering the country in order to attend Harvard, due to Harvard allegedly having ties to foreign adversaries, particularly citing donations from Chinese entities. The Trump administration has announced it will appeal a federal judge’s order blocking its attempt to bar international students from attending Harvard. While the appeal proceeds, Harvard is developing contingency plans, including potential remote learning options and partnerships with institutions like the University of Toronto to support affected students.
  
  ​​On June 26, the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Harvard as part of an investigation into whether Ivy League schools have coordinated tuition pricing and financial aid practices in violation of antitrust laws. The Committee issued the subpoena after deeming Harvard’s initial response insufficient. Harvard pushed back, calling the subpoena “unwarranted” and asserting that it has shared extensive documentation outlining its tuition and financial aid processes.
   
• In the April 17 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) took control of Grants.gov, a website that universities and other organizations use to identify and apply for federal grant opportunities, which suggested DOGE’s increased involvement in day-to-day government functioning around grant administration. According to media reports, on June 26, federal officials were instructed to “stop routing the grant-making process through DOGE.”
   
• University of Virginia President James E. Ryan announced his resignation in response to mounting pressure from the Trump administration, which reportedly had urged his removal during a Justice Department investigation into the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. Citing his deep commitment to the university but unwillingness to battle the federal government to keep his position, Ryan stepped down following reported threats from the administration to withhold millions in federal funding. A rally in support of Ryan is planned for July 4 on the university campus.
   
• In a letter dated June 26, the Justice Department informed the University of California System that it has opened an investigation into whether the System and its individual campuses have engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race and sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The investigation is based in part on a strategic growth plan that mentions diversity in hiring. The Justice Department is also investigating whether a hostile work environment has existed for Jewish employees on System campuses.
   
• In a wide-ranging memorandum issued on June 11, the Justice Department directed its Civil Division attorneys to prioritize investigations and enforcement actions advancing Trump administration priorities. This includes: affirmative litigation to “combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, program and activities,” including under the False Claims Act; investigations and enforcement actions against entities that make claims for federal funds but knowingly violate federal civil rights laws by participating in or allowing antisemitism; investigations of doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and other appropriate entities that make “false claims about the on- or off-label use of puberty blockers, sex hormones, or any other drug used to facilitate a child’s so-called ‘gender transition;’” and affirmative litigation to invalidate any State or local laws that purport to “violate federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations,” including “sanctuary jurisdictions.”  Of note, the memorandum also states that the Justice Department will prioritize and pursue civil denaturalization proceedings against naturalized U.S. citizens who commit certain crimes, including those who commit  national security violations and committing acts of fraud against individuals or against the government, like Paycheck Protection Program loan fraud or Medicaid or Medicare fraud. 
   
• The latest on federal actions related to Columbia University: In the June 5 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced that it had notified the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Columbia University’s accreditor, that in view of the Administration’s findings that Columbia violated Title VI, Columbia “no longer appears to meet the Commission’s accreditation standards.” On June 26, the Commission issued Columbia a “non-compliance warning” and requires Columbia to submit a “monitoring report” by November 3, which will be followed by a visit to campus by Commission representatives.  According to a Commission statement issued on July 1, “the Commission anticipates considering the accreditation status of Columbia University at its March 2026 meeting.”
  
  On July 1, House Republican leaders Elise Stefanik and Tim Walberg sent a letter to Columbia University Acting President Claire Shipman raising concerns about past internal communications and the university’s response to antisemitism on campus. It comes as Columbia faces continued federal investigations, including allegations that the university failed to protect Jewish students in violation of civil rights laws. In response, a university spokesperson noted that the communications were provided to the Committee in fall 2024, reflect messages from over a year ago, and are now being shared out of context. The spokesperson added that the comments were made during a particularly difficult period when university leaders were working to address significant challenges and reaffirmed Columbia’s ongoing commitment to combating antisemitism.
   
• In the April 3 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported that HHS announced that it is undergoing a “dramatic restructuring in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order, ‘Implementing the President’s Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative.’” The changes include firing 10,000 employees, eliminating divisions and regional offices and centralizing departments. On July 1, the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island issued an injunction in a lawsuit brought by 19 State Attorneys General and the District of Columbia enjoining HHS from proceeding with its plans.
   
• On June 30, the U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania granted Haverford College’s Motion to Dismiss a lawsuit that alleged that Haverford acted with deliberate indifference toward Jewish students in violation of Title VI, holding that many of the incidents of alleged antisemitism described in the complaint fall within the protection of the First Amendment and/or that Haverford’s responses could not be deemed to constitute deliberate indifference.
   
• On July 1, the Senate narrowly passed its budget reconciliation package in a 51–50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. The bill includes sweeping changes to federal student aid, including the elimination of Grad PLUS loans, new caps on Parent PLUS loans, and consolidation of loan repayment plans into two options—one of which introduces a 30-year income-driven repayment model. The package provides $12 billion in additional Pell Grant funding, expands Pell eligibility to students in short-term, workforce-aligned programs, and delays several Biden-era loan forgiveness regulations for a decade. After a record-setting 27-hour vote-a-rama, the legislation now returns to the House under an increasingly tight timeline, as Republican leaders aim to deliver the bill to President Trump by July 4. 
   
• In the May 1 edition of the GW Weekly Federal Update, we reported that on April 28, ED announced that it found the University of Pennsylvania to have violated Title IX “by denying women equal opportunities by permitting males to compete in women’s intercollegiate athletics and to occupy women-only intimate facilities.” On July 1, the ED Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that it had entered into a Resolution Agreement with Penn under which Penn, among under things, will “restore” swimming awards and send apology notes to female competitors who lost to a transgender athlete, and that Penn will adopt biology-based definitions of “male” and “female” in compliance with the Trump administration’s interpretation of Title IX, effectively limiting transgender participation in its athletic programs. This agreement stems from a civil rights investigation into Penn’s support of Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer whose participation on the women’s swim team sparked national debate. In a statement, university president J. Larry Jameson said, “We have now brought to a close an investigation that, if unresolved, could have had significant and lasting implications for the University of Pennsylvania.” Since the agreement, the Trump administration has released $175 million in previously frozen federal funding to Penn.
   
• On June 30, the Department of Labor Office of Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued proposed rules to bring existing regulations in line with President Trump’s January 2025 Executive Order (EO) that ended federal affirmative action requirements related to race and sex in federal contracting. In addition to rescinding the nondiscrimination and affirmative action regulations, the rules retain OFCCP’s enforcement responsibilities for affirmative action and nondiscrimination protections for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. The proposal would also rescind the requirements for contractors to invite applicants and employees to self-identify their disability status and to analyze progress toward the 7 percent utilization goal for individuals with disabilities. 

Resources and Reminders

About this Newsletter

To ensure that students, faculty and staff feel supported and informed about how federal developments affect higher education and GW, the university launched a weekly Federal Update. This newsletter shares timely information, addresses questions and provides resources.