Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Tuesday she talked with the presidents of Harvard and Columbia University about adhering to civil rights law as the Trump administration seeks to leverage federal funding in persuading the private Ivy League institutions to change certain policies.
Harvard on Monday filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts to halt a federal freeze on more than $2.2 billion in grants after it said it would defy the Trump administration's requests to change certain policies, such as hiring and admission processes, diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, and thwarting on-campus activism critics see as antisemitic.
"I talked to the president of Columbia, I've also talked to the president of Harvard, [about] how we could make sure that the universities were abiding by the law," McMahon told CNBC's "Squawk Box," according to The Hill, regarding talks with Harvard President Alan Garber and acting Columbia President Claire Shipman.
"And I made it very clear," she said. "I said, these are not First Amendment infractions. This is civil rights."
Harvard's lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of violating the First Amendment and is seeking to stop future harm from the federal government. The university has asked a judge to rule that the administration's demands are unconstitutional and reinstate the funding.
In a letter to Harvard earlier this month, the Trump administration called for broad reforms at the university, as well as changes to its admissions policies. It also demanded that the university audit views of diversity on campus and stop recognizing some pro-Palestinian student clubs.
Garber said the university would not bend to the administration's demands. The government then froze billions of dollars in federal funding to the world's wealthiest academic institution.
"This is making sure that students on all campuses can come and learn and be safe, and that is exactly what the president's direction to me is … and that is why we have had these funds either withheld or frozen during a time of negotiation," McMahon said.
Columbia also took legal action and then lost $400 million in federal grants as a result, according to The Hill. The university decided to concede to the administration's demands but has not yet seen its funding restored.
McMahon said she was "very pleased" with Columbia's progress on campus and in negotiations with the administration, which she said were "not quite finalized" yet.
Many are worried the funding cuts will negatively affect research and science. The administration has argued that wealthy universities such as Harvard and Columbia, with endowments in the tens of billions of dollars, don't need the funding.
McMahon said the research has been ''incredibly beneficial,'' but the government is sending a message that it is looking to hold the universities accountable to protect civil rights on campus.
McMahon said the letter sent by the White House to Harvard was to set the stage for negotiations, but Harvard argued it was a final offer, according to The Hill, and the administration had hoped the university would ''come back to the table to discuss.''
''It was a letter that was intended to have both parties sit down again and continue their negotiations. That's what I sincerely hope will happen,'' McMahon said.
She said the administration believes it is on ''very solid ground'' regarding Harvard's lawsuit.
''The reason that these funds have been frozen is because of a civil rights issue and not a freedom of speech issue,'' McMahon said. ''So, I feel very confident and solid in that approach by the government.''