Harvard President apologises as campus reports reveal antisemitism, anti-muslim bias

Garber acknowledges university’s failure to uphold its standards of inclusion and condemned the prejudice reported.

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Harvard University President Alan Garber issued a formal apology Tuesday following the release of two scathing internal reports detailing antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias across campus.

The reports, commissioned in early 2024 after student unrest related to the Israel war, outlined a culture of fear and discrimination that left Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian students feeling targeted, unsafe, and pressured to conceal their identities.

The investigations, conducted by separate task forces, revealed that students experienced harassment, doxxing, and social exclusion during the 2023–24 academic year, particularly in the aftermath of the genocide.

Garber acknowledged the university’s failure to uphold its standards of inclusion and condemned the prejudice reported, stating, “Harvard cannot—and will not—abide bigotry.”

The reports include recommendations to improve campus culture, such as reforming admissions to emphasize applicants’ ability to engage constructively across differences and expanding academic offerings in Jewish, Arab, and Islamic studies.

Harvard has committed to reviewing policies, enhancing safety measures, and promoting civil discourse.

The release comes as Harvard faces mounting pressure from the Trump administration, which has frozen over $2 billion in federal funds and demanded the elimination of race-based preferences in admissions.

Harvard responded by filing a lawsuit against the federal government, accusing it of violating the university’s constitutional rights and using funding as leverage to influence academic policy.

Spanning more than 500 pages, the reports mark a pivotal moment for the nation’s oldest university, which is now pledging institutional reform amid national scrutiny and internal division.