NEW YORK, Apr 23 (Reuters): More than 200 university and college presidents in a joint statement accused U.S. President Donald Trump's administration of political interference in higher education, banding together after Harvard University said the government was threatening its independence.
The statement, signed by presidents from institutions such as Princeton, Brown, Harvard, Columbia, the University of Hawaii and Connecticut State Community College, criticised what it described as "the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education."
"We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight," the statement said. "However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses."
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the statement.
Asked on Tuesday about a lawsuit filed a day earlier by Harvard accusing the Trump administration of violating the Constitution by exerting financial pressure to force changes at the university, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the government will respond in court.
"It's quite simple: if you want federal dollars, obey federal law," she said.
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