A former Justice Department lawyer alleges that federal investigations into antisemitism at major universities were rushed. She says they lacked support or had fixed outcomes. The inquiries led to settlements and funding disputes. Those outcomes affected campus protections, academic work and federal research money.
Key Facts
- Federal oversight: The Associated Press reported that Haley Van Erem’s lawyers filed a whistleblower disclosure with two inspectors general and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.
- Disputed account: The Justice Department told AP that it stands behind the integrity of its investigations.
- No final finding: The disclosure requests watchdog review and does not establish that any investigation was improper.
What the former lawyer alleges
AP reported that Van Erem’s disclosure chiefly concerns federal work involving Brown, Columbia and Harvard. Her lawyers submitted it to the inspectors general for Justice and Health and Human Services and to the Office of Special Counsel.
According to AP, Van Erem alleges that investigators found no support for a Title VI violation at Brown. She claims officials nevertheless pursued a settlement instead of closing that part of the inquiry.
Title VI bars race, color and national-origin discrimination in federally funded programs. It may cover discrimination against Jewish or Israeli people when it is based on shared ancestry, ethnicity or national origin, but it does not generally prohibit religious discrimination.
AP reported that the disclosure describes a different problem at Columbia. Investigators found evidence of discrimination, Van Erem alleges, but worked on an accelerated and incomplete record.
For Harvard, AP reported that Van Erem alleges officials discussed broad funding freezes and settlement terms before completing the investigation.
She also alleges that some Muslim professors and Middle East Studies faculty were targeted because of their faith or academic work.
DOJ disputes the account
The Justice Department told AP that it stands behind the integrity of its investigations. AP reported on August 18 that HHS had not immediately responded to its request for comment.
In its Harvard lawsuit, DOJ said it was using Title VI to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnicity.
DOJ created the multi-agency task force in February 2025 and made antisemitic harassment in schools its first priority. The task force included Justice, Education and HHS representatives and was coordinated through DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.
The disclosure does not decide whether campus antisemitism occurred or whether any university violated Title VI. It also does not establish that investigators broke rules or acted for an improper purpose.
The investigations carried major financial stakes
Brown said its 2025 agreement ended three federal compliance reviews without a finding or admission of wrongdoing. The agreement restored funding flows and required Brown to distribute $50 million to Rhode Island workforce organizations over 10 years.
Columbia agreed to pay the federal government $200 million while regaining access to federal research funding. Columbia did not admit wrongdoing and disputed the government’s conclusion that it violated Title VI.
Columbia also acknowledged serious antisemitism problems and described corrective measures intended to protect its community.
A separate Harvard ruling has narrow reach
On August 13, 2026, a federal judge dismissed DOJ’s Title VI enforcement case against Harvard. The court found that the government had not plausibly alleged continuing noncompliance after its statutory notice.
The judge described the later incidents alleged by the government as too isolated and episodic to show persistent institutional noncompliance. The ruling was limited to Harvard’s case and did not decide Van Erem’s broader allegations.
It also did not find that antisemitic incidents never occurred at Harvard.
What happens next
The disclosure asks federal oversight offices to review Van Erem’s account. Filing a disclosure does not mean an oversight office has opened an investigation or accepted its allegations.
Sources
- Associated Press: Whistleblower alleges political pressure in antisemitism probes of schools
- Justice Department Announces Formation of Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism
- Justice Department Sues Harvard University for Antisemitism
- Memorandum and Order on Harvard’s Motion to Dismiss
- Brown University Statement on Federal Resolution Agreement
- Columbia University Statement on Resolution of Federal Investigations
