Foxx claims Harvard obstructed investigation into alleged assault at pro-Palestinian protest

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) and Rep. Elise M. Stefanik ’06 (R-N.Y.) accused Harvard of “willfully obstructing” a criminal investigation into the alleged physical assault of a Jewish student during a pro-Palestine protest last year at Harvard Business School.

Foxx and Stefanik, two senior House Republicans who have led the congressional charge against Harvard over its handling of anti-Semitism on campus, criticized university President Alan M. Garber ’76 in a letter released Wednesday over his administration’s alleged lack of cooperation with the investigation by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

Elom Tettey-Tamoklo and Ibrahim I. Bharmal, two Harvard graduate students, were each charged with two misdemeanor counts of assault and battery in May for their roles in a confrontation with a Jewish HBS freshman during the October 18, 2023, “die-in” protest at the business school.

After the HBS student began filming the faces of the protesters participating in the “die-in,” Tettey-Tamoklo and Bharmal made physical contact with the HBS student while holding up safety vests and keffiyehs — a traditional Palestinian headscarf — to prevent the student from filming.

A video of the incident went viral, and a number of politicians and prominent Harvard alumni cited the confrontation as an example of the university’s alleged failure to combat anti-Semitism on campus.

Tettey-Tamoklo and Bharmal were scheduled to appear twice in Brighton District Court for arraignment, but the arraignment was postponed each time as prosecutors cited the need to obtain more information from the Harvard University Police Department to conduct a more thorough investigation.

“In all our years of public service, we have never encountered a situation in which a law enforcement agency refused to cooperate with a prosecutor’s investigation – much less do so in such an open and brazen manner,” Foxx and Stefanik wrote.

University spokesman Jason A. Newton wrote in a statement that “Harvard values our partnership with the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office.”

“The University has made it clear that it is prepared to provide further assistance to the DA if needed,” Newton added. “There are no outstanding requests from the University to the DA at this time.”

HUPD turned over all investigative documents on March 8, and provided additional footage of the incident and other details.

But at the September 5 arraignment, District Attorney Urusula Knight said she expected HUPD to continue investigating other people at the die-in protest.

“Harvard is protecting those who physically assaulted a Jewish student on Harvard campus by preventing a state prosecutor from advancing the state’s investigation,” the representatives wrote.

The graduate students are scheduled to return to court on October 22, where they will plead guilty to assault and battery.

However, before that date, Foxx and Stefanik asked Harvard to provide the House Committee on Education and the Workforce with internal university documents relating to the case, including all communications discussing the investigation.

Foxx and Stefanik asked Garber to comply with the committee’s request for internal documents and communications by September 30. The request comes as the committee continues its investigation into Harvard’s handling of anti-Semitism on campus.

Stefanik had previously criticized the university in an April letter for delaying justice and allowing Tettey-Tamoklo to graduate from Harvard Divinity School without disciplinary action. The university had removed Tettey-Tamoklo from his position as proctor of Thayer Hall in November 2023 following the HBS incident.

“It is clear from Harvard’s latest obstruction that the university believes that protecting anti-Semites on its campus is more important than ensuring a safe learning environment for all of its students,” Foxx and Stefanik wrote. “This decision is unacceptable, and Harvard must make public its decisions and the reasons for its lack of cooperation.”

Newton wrote that “Harvard remains committed to combating anti-Semitism, and we will continue our work to ensure that every student can find belonging in our campus community.”

—You can contact Sally E. Edwards, managing editor, at [email protected]. Follow her on X @sallyedwards04 or on Threads @sally_edwards06.