Trump administration probes Harvard Law Review for race discrimination

Trump administration investigates Harvard Law Review for race-based discrimination, sparking legal battle with prestigious university.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration said it has launched an investigation into Harvard University and Harvard Law Review for "race-based discrimination" after receiving reports about the prestigious legal journal's selection process for articles.

The probe comes as Mr. Trump cracks down on U.S. universities on several fronts, alleging widespread anti-Semitism, anti-white bias, and the promotion of "gender ideology" by protecting transgender students.

Harvard, which has seen billions in federal funding frozen after it rejected wide-ranging government oversight, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration last week.

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On Monday, the civil rights offices of the Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services announced that it had received information about Harvard Law Review's "policies and practices for journal membership and article selection that may violate" the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

Title VI bans recipients of federal funds — such as Harvard — "from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin in the recipient's programs or activities," the agencies said in a joint statement.

"Harvard Law Review's article selection process appears to pick winners and losers on the basis of race," said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights in the education department.