A major new escalation of the Trump's administration conflict with Harvard University can now potentially lead to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revoking the university’s tax-exempt status.

As NYT reports, IRS is considering it.

The university, like many colleges and charities, is exempt from federal income and property taxes, saving it billions of dollars of funding for educational programs and research. The status can also help an educational institution become a magnet for wealthy individuals seeking to donate large sums.

This move followed Harvard’s refusal to comply with a series of federal demands concerning its admissions, hiring practices, and academic programs. The administration has also threatened to freeze over $2 billion in federal research grants.

It is rare for the IRS to revoke the tax-exempt status of an educational institution. 

If the IRS does this to Harvard, the move will be a serious escalation of the conflict and will raise serious concerns about the use of federal power to influence academic institutions and potentially infringe upon constitutional protections such as academic freedom and the First Amendment.

That's why we call on the IRS to maintain Harvard University’s tax-exempt status, recognizing its role as a nonprofit institution dedicated to education and research.

Resist political pressures that seek to undermine the autonomy of academic institutions!