Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell is now standing firmly alongside Harvard University in their legal battle against the Trump Administration's federal funding freeze. As reported by Mass.gov, Campbell has rallied a coalition of 21 attorneys general to file an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. They're backing Harvard's motion for summary judgment against the decision to cancel over $2 billion in federal funds already promised to the institution.
Harvard has taken a stand, refusing to comply with a set of demands laid out by the Trump Administration on April 11 that would significantly compromise its academic values and independence. "The Trump Administration’s attack on Harvard is an attack on the Commonwealth itself. The President cannot strong-arm universities into abandoning their core values or relinquishing their independence,” AG Campbell was quoted saying in the statement. This move comes with high stakes, as the loss of such substantial funding could have dire ripple effects on local jobs and potentially stall pivotal research emerging from the university.
Campbell's brief emphasizes the crucial role that Harvard plays not only in academia but also as a keystone in Massachusetts' economy. With the institution as the state's fifth-largest employer and a major spender on local businesses—$1.45 billion in 2024 alone—their contribution to the state's fiscal health can't be overstated. The research facilitated by Harvard's funding is not just academic exercises; they are lifelines to economic growth and innovation, fueling start-ups and industry partnerships that have tangible impacts on society, as identified in the Mass.gov announcement.
The brief further details the effects of Harvard's research on the Commonwealth, highlighting over 160 startups born from its labs in the past twelve years and more than a thousand active technology licenses with industry partners as of July 2023. Furthermore, Campbell's support echoes the university's commitment to not only its economic role but the pursuit of knowledge that "promises to improve and lengthen the lives of Massachusetts residents," including breakthroughs in cancer immunotherapy, obesity treatments, and organ transplantation, according to Mass.gov. Harvard’s defiance, and the support it has garnered, thus stands as a testament to the university's resolve to safeguard academic freedom and contribute meaningfully to the state and beyond. The attorneys general from states across the nation have joined Campbell, from California to New York, underscoring the national implications of the conflict between Harvard and the Trump Administration.
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