Comedian and television host Conan O’Brien is set to entertain graduates at Harvard University’s commencement ceremony. This event comes at a time when the prestigious Ivy League institution is embroiled in legal disputes with the Trump administration.

Legal Challenges and Funding Disputes

In March, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit against Harvard, accusing the university of not adequately addressing antisemitism on its campus. This legal action followed a court ruling that favored Harvard in a separate lawsuit, which led to the reversal of billions of dollars in funding cuts imposed by the administration. The administration had previously reduced over $2.6 billion in research funding, terminated federal contracts, and attempted to prevent the university from hosting international students. Harvard argued that these actions were punitive measures for the university’s refusal to align with the administration’s views.

Political Climate at Commencements

Harvard’s commencement ceremonies have increasingly become platforms for political expression. Last year, speakers were applauded for advocating a diverse and international student body while standing up for truth against perceived attacks by the Trump administration. In a previous year, graduates protested by chanting “Free, free Palestine” and “Let them walk” in response to the university’s decisions regarding student protests and diploma distribution.

Graduate Students’ Strike

This year’s commencement will also see striking graduate students picketing due to stalled contract negotiations with the university. Over 4,000 graduate student workers are demanding better pay, an independent process for handling harassment and discrimination complaints, and contractual protections for noncitizen and disabled workers.

Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Ed Markey is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at UMass Boston’s commencement on the same day.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.