Harvard considering settling civil rights lawsuit with Trump admin for up to $500 million: Report

Harvard University is reportedly considering spending up to $500 million to settle its civil rights lawsuit with the Trump administration, sources told multiple news outlets on Monday. 

The possible settlement is more than double the $220 million settlement Columbia University reached in its antisemitic discrimination lawsuit with the current presidential administration. Harvard is also facing allegations of antisemitism and racial discrimination. 

The Trump administration has touted its deal with Columbia as a template for settlements with other major schools, and the University of California Los Angeles is now expected to settle its antisemitic lawsuit for $6 million.

The White House and Harvard have not commented on the reports so far, or what a possible settlement could look like, but sources indicated to the New York Times that the university believes a settlement could help Harvard avoid more troubles with the administration in the future. 

Harvard is also reluctant to pay the administration directly, the outlet reported, but negotiations for how to pay a settlement if one is reached are ongoing. Harvard is also reportedly expected to demand that any settlement be tied to its April lawsuit against the government. 

One method Harvard could use to pay the settlement is by donating some of the funds to a Jewish charity or to Jewish teachers who were targeted in the anti-Israel protests that occurred on its campus last year. Columbia is paying $20 million to its teachers, and UCLA has agreed to pay $2.33 million to Jewish charities.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.