The Trump administration notified Harvard University on Monday that a federal investigation had found the school in violation of federal civil rights law for failing to protect Jewish students on campus from discrimination.

A letter from the administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism to Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, said that an investigation by the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services had concluded that the school was in “violent violation” of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The letter alleges that in some cases the university had been deliberately indifferent, and in others has been “a willful participant in anti-Semitic harassment of Jewish students, faculty, and staff.”

Harvard and other universities have been accused of not doing enough to combat antisemitism, especially after protests over the Israel-Gaza war intensified divisions on some campuses across the country during the 2023-2024 school year. Harvard has taken numerous steps to improve the campus climate in recent months, including strengthening rules about protests, enhancing training on antisemitism and expanding kosher dining options. But it remains in a tense standoff with the Trump administration over antisemitism and other issues. The Trump administration has cut more than $2 billion in federal funding, threatened to revoke the school’s tax-exempt status and tried to prevent international students from enrolling there.

The letter Monday marked another notch in that battle, announcing the conclusion of a federal investigation. It cited problems such as a protest encampment over the war a year ago and reports that a majority of Jewish students on campus reported negative bias or discrimination on campus. According to the letter, “Jewish and Israeli students were assaulted and spit on; they hid their kippahs for fear of being harassed and concealed their Jewish identity from classmates for fear of ostracization.”

Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources, the letter first reported by the Wall Street Journal, warned.

A spokesman for Harvard, Jason Newton, said antisemitism is a serious problem and is unacceptable. He also said Harvard is “far from indifferent on this issue” and strongly disagrees with the government’s findings.

“Harvard has taken substantive, proactive steps to address the root causes of antisemitism in its community,” Newton said. “In responding to the government’s investigation, Harvard has not only shared its comprehensive and retrospective Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias Report but also outlined the ways that it has strengthened policies, disciplined those who violate them, encouraged civil discourse, and promoted open, respectful dialogue.”

Newton said Harvard has made significant strides to combat bigotry, hate and bias. “We are not alone in confronting this challenge and recognize that this work is ongoing. We remain committed to ensuring members of our Jewish and Israeli community are embraced, respected, and can thrive at Harvard.”