Education Secretary Linda McMahon questioned Harvard University President Alan Garber’s decision to take a 25% pay cut, saying she's not sure how that shows the university is changing policies on antisemitism or racial discrimination.

A Harvard University spokesperson told Fox News Wednesday Garber agreed to take a 25% reduction in pay for the 2025-26 school year after the Trump administration cut $2.2 billion in funding to the university.

McMahon was a guest on FOX Business’ "The Evening Edit" Thursday, and she opened up about the situation at the elite Ivy League institution and Garber’s reduction in pay.

"I'm not quite sure today with the president of Harvard, President Garber, taking a salary decrease is somehow a statement that they're changing their policies on antisemitism or racial discrimination. I don’t think that does a whole lot to solve the problem," McMahon told host Elizabeth MacDonald. 

HARVARD UPDATES LAWSUIT AFTER TRUMP CANCELS ADDITIONAL $450M IN FUNDING

"And if you just look at some of the stats, I mean, the Harvard Crimson even reported that ... in their own research over the last couple of years, 2% to 3% of the faculty are conservative. And you just can't have that kind of discrepancy without having the theology or ideology be biased across campus."

Harvard on Tuesday filed an update to its lawsuit against the Trump administration after another $450 million of research funding was cut.

The Massachusetts school amended the lawsuit hours after the federal government’s Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced that eight federal agencies were terminating approximately $450 million in grants over what is described as Harvard’s "radical" and "dark problem" on campus.

"Harvard University has repeatedly failed to confront the pervasive race discrimination and antisemitic harassment plaguing its campus," the task force said in a statement.

The latest freeze comes in addition to $2.2 billion in funding already withheld and threats by the Trump administration to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status. 

HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT TAKES 25% PAY CUT AMID TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FUNDING FREEZE

Harvard filed its initial lawsuit in April to block $2.2 billion in funding from being denied.

In its amended lawsuit, Harvard said much of the funding that was initially frozen has now been terminated, apparently with no hope of restoring it.

McMahon told MacDonald she did not think Harvard has changed its practices, adding the Trump administration has gone to the university to investigate.

"We wanted to sit down with President Garber. I spoke with him," McMahon said. "We were going to sit down and discuss things, and we had sent a letter … and asked him to come to the table. And his answer was a lawsuit that Harvard filed."

Since then, she said, there has been other communication with Garber, noting the Trump administration was doing some of the things without taking away the lawsuit.

But she added she is willing to discuss with Harvard officials what the university is doing differently.

TRUMP FROZE FUNDING FOR HARVARD. MONEY TO THESE UNIVERSITIES MAY ALSO BE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

McMahon acknowledged Harvard has tried to make changes, including asking the chair of the school’s Middle East Studies department to step down.

She made it clear, though, that the Trump administration is not taking anything off the table.

"It is clear antisemitism on campus is a civil rights violation, and Harvard has argued, as other elite universities have, that … maybe their First Amendment rights are being abridged," McMahon said. "This is not about the First Amendment. This is civil rights.

"When you put other students at risk, their safety is of concern," she added. "And their Jewish students will tell us that they’re even afraid to go to activities on campus. That’s clearly civil rights violations. Yes, that does bear investigation, and we’re not taking anything off the table."

Harvard has become a target of Trump’s broader crackdown on universities, much of which is in response to last year’s anti-Israel unrest that erupted on campuses across the country.

DOES HARVARD DESERVE WAR WITH TRUMP, OR IS GOVERNMENT OVERSTEPPING? CAMPUS REACTS TO FUNDING BATTLE

On April 11, the Trump administration sent a letter to Garber and Harvard Corporation Lead Member Penny Pritzker outlining the institution’s failures and a list of demands from the White House. In the letter, the administration accused Harvard of failing to uphold civil rights laws and to foster an "environment that produces intellectual creativity."

The Trump administration threatened to pull federal funding if Harvard did not reform governance and leadership and its hiring and admissions practices by August 2025. The letter emphasized the need for Harvard to change its international admissions process to avoid admitting students who are "hostile" to American values or support terrorism or antisemitism.

Harvard refused to comply with the demands, and Garber said "no government … should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and areas of study and inquiry they can pursue."

The Trump administration then froze $2.2 billion in funding to Harvard and is reportedly looking to slash another billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The university later filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its "unlawful" freezing of funds.

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman, Andrea Margolis, Stephen Sorace and Bonny Chu contributed to this report.

A bombshell report out of Stanford University shed light on the influence of spies from the Chinese Communist Party that the student newspaper says have likely infiltrated the prestigious institution and other universities nationwide to gather intelligence.

The report, published by the Stanford Review, tells the story of a Stanford student working on sensitive research at the school – and given the name "Anna" to protect her identity – receiving unexpected messages from a man with the alias Charles Chen asking about seemingly harmless topics like networking opportunities. 

Those messages soon took a "strange turn," according to the outlet when Chen’s questions became more personal, asking Anna if she spoke Mandarin, encouraging her to visit Beijing on a trip he would pay for, and referencing details she had never disclosed to him.

Charles advised Anna on how to enter China briefly enough to avoid visa scrutiny from authorities, told her to only communicate through the CCP-monitored WeChat and told her to delete screenshots.

BLUE STATE GOVERNOR TOUTS MEETING WITH CCP OFFICIAL COZYING UP TO DEMS: 'GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY'

"Under the guidance of experts familiar with espionage tactics, Anna contacted authorities," the article explains. 

"Their investigation revealed that Charles Chen had no affiliation with Stanford. Instead, he had posed as a Stanford student for years, slightly altering his name and persona online, targeting multiple students, nearly all of them women researching China-related topics. According to the experts on China who assisted Anna, Charles Chen was likely an agent of the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), tasked with identifying sympathetic Stanford students and gathering intelligence."

Fox News Digital spoke to students involved in the article who explained that there are three major takeaways from the findings of the report. 

"Number one, what we saw was a full apparatus for extracting information so they would hit the students they wanted, then two, they would administer loyalty tests and three they would demand the information be sent back," one of the students said. 

In some cases, if the students refuse to provide information to the CCP, their parents are threatened back home and sometimes interrogated by police, according to the students who spoke to some Chinese international students.

NEW REPORT WARNS OF GROWING NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT TO U.S. AS CHINA BUILDS AI: 'SIGNIFICANT AND CONCERNING'

‘To be very clear, what they said is that every Chinese international student at any time can be asked by the CCP to disclose their research information," Fox News Digital was told. 

"So what that looks like is, potentially weekly calls with the Chinese ambassador back in China, where they will explain what research they're doing and if it is particularly sensitive technologies like AI and robotics. This is where the majority of the CCP targeting is happening. They'll ask them to send back not just public information, they'll also send back internal lab reports, future directions of the research, recorded conversations with the professor, the methodologies, the other participants in the research, particularly if they're Chinese international students so they can look for other ones."

The Stanford Review story points out that the House Select Committee on China sent a letter to Stanford last year warning of the risks that China poses to STEM research. 

The article also explained how concerns about a Chinese spy presence in China have "quietly persisted" for "years" and claimed that several people who were contacted were too afraid to speak publicly.

"One student who experienced espionage firsthand was too fearful to recount their story, even via encrypted messaging," the article states. 

"‘The risk is too high,’ they explained. "Transnational repression, $64 million in Chinese funding, and allegations of racial profiling have contributed to a pervasive culture of silence at Stanford and beyond."

The authors of the article, after interviewing dozens of people in and around the university, summed up their findings by saying, "The CCP is orchestrating a widespread intelligence-gathering campaign at Stanford."

"In short, ‘there are Chinese spies at Stanford.’"

NEWSOM'S TIES TO CCP UNDER MICROSCOPE IN NEW BOOK EXPOSING ALLEGED CORRUPTION: 'FLEECED AMERICAN CITIZENS'

Fox News Digital spoke to former California GOP Congressman Michelle Steel about the report, and she explained that hundreds of millions of dollars are pouring in from China to prestigious universities. She called the situation "very dangerous."

"President Trump is totally right," Steel said. "China is the biggest threat to all other industries, but especially universities."

Hudson Institute senior fellow Michael Sobolik, who recently published an article urging the U.S. to "stop giving Beijing an advantage through TikTok," told Fox News Digital that "sunlight is the best disinfectant" in this situation.

"If Stanford is worried about foreign espionage and coercion on its campus – and it should be – then its leadership will need to call it out publicly," Sobolik said. 

"Thus far, woke politics have deterred Stanford from speaking out. That’s insane, and it rebounds to Beijing's benefit. The CCP is one of the most racist political organizations in the world, and it hides behind the Chinese people as a shield," he continued. "If Americans are afraid to call the party out, we implicitly advance the CCP’s narrative that there’s no difference between the Chinese people and the CCP."

In a statement, Stanford University said it "takes its commitment to national security with the utmost seriousness, and we are acutely aware of the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to all research universities."

"Stanford has rigorous policies and processes in place to ensure that research by its faculty and students is conducted in a manner that safeguards America’s interests. Stanford does not conduct classified or secret research," the statement continued. "Stanford has a university-wide process for reporting threats to research security, and carefully assesses all reports. Stanford consults with federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to ensure our policies and procedures are rigorous and protect national security."

The university added that it is "looking into" the Stanford Review report and has reached out to federal law enforcement, adding that it is "very important to distinguish between threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party, and Chinese and Chinese-American faculty and students who are at Stanford to learn and contribute to the generation of knowledge, and are valued members of our community."

Steel and the Stanford students told Fox News Digital that while it is important not to generalize and make assumptions about all Chinese students, it is the students from China who are ultimately the victims in this situation as they are coerced and sometimes punished by the CCP. 

"We really have to protect these innocent students, innocent Chinese Americans, but at the same time we really have to vet those students coming in or anybody, even diplomats, they're coming in, we really have to vet them," Steel said. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., for comment on the report and received a statement denying the allegations. 

"The above reports are full of false information, delusional speculation, political lies and ideological prejudice," spokesperson Liu Pengyu said. "China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes this."

"China-US educational cooperation has not only expanded the channels for students of the two countries and enhanced the understanding between the two peoples, but also promoted the economic prosperity and scientific and technological innovation of the United States, which is in the interests of both sides," the statement continued. 

"We urge the US to stop generalizing national security, stop slandering Chinese students, and stop stigmatizing, politicizing and instrumentalizing normal educational exchanges. Effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students studying abroad, and do not take discriminatory and restrictive measures against Chinese students."

Harvard University President Alan Garber on Monday sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon criticizing the Trump administration's actions against the school while noting both groups share "common ground" on a number of issues. 

"We share common ground on a number of critical issues, including the importance of ending antisemitism and other bigotry on campus," Garber said. "Like you, I believe that Harvard must foster an academic environment that encourages freedom of thought and expression, and that we should embrace a multiplicity of viewpoints rather than focusing our attention on narrow orthodoxies."

However, Harvard's goals are undermined and threatened "by the federal government’s overreach into the constitutional freedoms of private universities and its continuing disregard of Harvard’s compliance with the law," Garber said. 

CALIFORNIA SHERIFF SLAMS ‘MERITLESS’ UCLA STUDENT LAWSUIT AGAINST POLICE WHO DISMANTLED ANTI-ISRAEL ENCAMPMENT

"Consistent with the law and with our own values, we continue to pursue needed reforms, doing so in consultation with our stakeholders and always in compliance with the law," he wrote. "But Harvard will not surrender its core, legally-protected principles out of fear of unfounded retaliation by the federal government."

Garber's remarks are in response to a scathing letter last week from McMahon telling the university that it will no longer be eligible for federal grants over its handling of antisemitism on campus. 

"Receiving such taxpayer funds is a privilege, not a right," she wrote. "Yet instead of using these funds to advance the education of its students, Harvard is engaging in a systemic pattern of violating federal law. Where do many of these ‘students’ come from, who are they, how do they get into Harvard, or even into our country – and why is there so much HATE?"

ISRAEL'S PRESIDENT RELEASES BLISTERING STATEMENT ON US UNIVERSITY ENCAMPMENTS: 'RESURGENCE OF ANTISEMITISM'

"These are questions that must be answered, among many more, but the biggest question of all is, why will Harvard not give straightforward answers to the American public?" she added. 

The Trump administration has frozen $2.2 billion in funding to the university and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status. 

TRUMP SAYS HE'LL REVOKE HARVARD'S TAX-EXEMPT STATUS

In his letter, Garber listed some of the actions Harvard has taken to address issues on campus, including installing new deans and clarifying the school's discipline structures and procedures. He noted that Harvard, like many universities, has work to do to foster intellectual diversity on campus. 

Garber also pushed back on McMahon's claims that Harvard is a "partisan" institution. 

"I must refute your claim that Harvard is a partisan institution. It is neither Republican nor Democratic," he wrote. "It is not an arm of any other political party or movement. Nor will it ever be. Harvard is a place to bring people of all backgrounds together to learn in an inclusive environment where ideas flourish regardless of whether they are deemed 'conservative,' ‘liberal,’ or something else, a place where assumptions and claims are tested and challenged, respectfully and thoughtfully, in pursuit of knowledge and truth."

Nearly two dozen states have banded together, filing an amicus brief to defend the constitutional rights of a Florida family, whose public middle school is accused of secretly "socially transitioning" their 13-year-old daughter without their consent.

The brief, filed on April 30, involves January and Jeffrey Littlejohn, parents in Leon County, Florida, who allege school officials met privately with their child about using a new name and pronouns, and did not inform or involve them as parents. 

School staff allegedly asked the Littlejohns' daughter which bathroom and locker rooms she wanted to use, which gender she wanted to room with during overnight trips, and if she wanted her parents to be notified.

A three-judge panel from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta sided 2-1 with the school district in a ruling on March 12, finding school officials "did not act with intent to injure" or "force the child to attend a student support plan meeting," thus not meeting the "shock the conscience" standard.

The Littlejohns appealed, requesting the court hear the case in full.

EXCLUSIVE: MOM'S FIGHT WITH SCHOOL OVER TEEN DAUGHTER'S GENDER TRANSITION GETS BOOST FROM PARENTS GROUP

The "shock the conscience" standard is often used in due process cases and refers to "egregious and unjust actions" that violate principles of fairness and decency, according to the Liberty Justice Center, which, in addition to the brief filed by the states' attorneys general, joined the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and Dr. Erica Anderson, Ph.D., in filing a brief in support of the parents' position.

"The issue of parental notification policy, or, in this case, the lack of notification policies, is something we’re seeing around the country," Emily Rae, senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, told Fox News Digital. "There are dozens of cases at the state level and federal level juggling this issue, trying to determine what parents’ rights are in this situation."

States' attorneys general called the court's decision "disastrous for parents everywhere," according to the brief that includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia and Arizona.

TRUMP GUEST WHOSE DAUGHTER WAS TRANSITIONED BEHIND HER BACK SPEAKS OUT

"Purposefully withholding from a parent critical information about supposed medical treatment that a school is providing a student not only violates that right, but does so to a disturbing and constitutionally intolerable degree," the states' attorneys general added.

"Parents – not the government – know what’s best for their children," Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr wrote in a statement. "We will always stand for parental rights and Georgia families."

The Liberty Justice Center, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and Anderson, wrote that school officials are not experts and should not aid in students' transition.

"To summarize, no professional association recommends that teachers and school officials, who have no expertise whatsoever in these issues, should facilitate a social transition while at school, treating minors as if they are really the opposite sex, in secret from their parents," the Liberty Justice Center wrote. "Usurping the parents in this way is conscience-shocking."

PARENTS TELL SCOTUS: LGBTQ STORYBOOKS IN CLASSROOMS CLASH WITH OUR FAITH

In an interview earlier this year, January Littlejohn, who was one of President Donald Trump’s guests at his address to a joint session of Congress, said the school’s actions had a "destructive" effect on her entire family. 

Ultimately, she said her daughter worked through the gender confusion, but the issue created a family rift that "took many years to repair."

The Leon County School District and Carr did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Columbia University said it will cut around 180 staff members Tuesday following the Trump administration’s announcement in March that it canceled $400 million in federal grants over the Ivy League school’s "failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment." 

"Across the research portfolio we have had to make difficult choices and unfortunately, today, nearly 180 of our colleagues who have been working, in whole or in part, on impacted federal grants, will receive notices of non-renewal or termination," acting Columbia University President Claire Shipman said in a statement. "This represents about 20% of the individuals who are funded in some manner by the terminated grants.

"In the coming weeks and months, we will need to continue to take actions that preserve our financial flexibility and allow us to invest in areas that drive us forward," she added. "This is a deeply challenging time across all higher education, and we are attempting to navigate through tremendous ambiguity with precision, which will be imperfect at times." 

The White House did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

LINDA MCMAHON BLASTS HARVARD IN SCATHING LETTER TELLING ELITE UNIVERSITY IT WILL NO LONGER GET FEDERAL GRANTS 

Columbia University said in early March that it was "notified of federal action from Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Education (ED), and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) cancelling $400 million in federal funding to the University. 

"The federal agencies cite ‘the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.’ There is no question that the cancellation of these funds will immediately impact research and other critical functions of the University, impacting students, faculty, staff, research, and patient care," it added at the time. 

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY JANITORS SUE ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS ACCUSED OF HOLDING THEM HOSTAGE IN CAMPUS BUILDING 

Then in April, Columbia University caved in to demands from the Trump administration in an effort to restore federal funding. 

The Ivy League school agreed to ban masks for the purpose of concealing identity, empower 36 campus police officers with new powers to arrest students and appoint a senior vice provost with broad authority to oversee the department of Middle East, South Asian and African Studies, as well as the Center for Palestine Studies.  

As of today, "Columbia’s leadership continues discussions with the federal government in support of resuming activity on these research awards and additional other awards that have remained active, but unpaid," according to Shipman. 

"Increasing budget constraints combined with uncertainty related to future levels of federal funding for research, including proposed reductions in facilities and administration (i.e., indirect costs) reimbursements, requires us to make difficult choices," Shipman said about the layoffs. "We have had to make deliberate, considered decisions about the allocation of our financial resources. Those decisions also impact our greatest resource, our people. We understand this news will be hard." 

Fox News’ Louis Casiano and Alexis McAdams contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: A pro-Trump legal nonprofit is asking for the U.S. Department of Education to investigate an Ohio school district that the group says is pushing an "unlawful" DEI agenda and violating federal anti-discrimination law. 

The complaint from America First Legal alleges that the Upper Arlington School District in Columbus, Ohio has implemented DEI policies dating back to 2020 and cites material from the district’s own website. 

"In June 2020, during the height of the Black Lives Matter riots, the Upper Arlington School Board, like many other educational institutions and corporations in our country, caved to Black Lives Matter demands and began to implement racist and discriminatory DEI policies in the District," the complaint alleges. 

"The District added a Chief Talent Officer ("CTO") to "foster workforce diversity. Upper Arlington also added an Equity Advisory Board, which aims to ‘provide invaluable insight and feedback on the recruitment of a diverse staff.’ The School District also created a new position, the Chief Excellence and Engagement Officer, who was tasked with ‘spearhead[ing] Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts.’"

WATCH: UNEARTHED FOOTAGE EXPOSES MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PLEDGING TO RESIST TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS

The complaint alleges that DEI advocacy continued in the years after 2020 and quoted a district report that said "[t]here is a need for a clear vision for DEI initiatives [and] advocacy for LGBTQIA+ students" while referring "those who oppos[e] DEI efforts" as "negative voices."

A "Comprehensive Equity Report" from the district "contains "discriminatory and illegal recommendations", according to the complaint. 

The complaint makes the case that the DEI practices within the district are not in line with current Education Department rules and guidelines and suggests that federal funding to the school could be in jeopardy.

WHITE HOUSE VOWS TO IMPLEMENT 'SYSTEM OF MERIT' IN US, DISMANTLE DEI 'STRANGULATION'

"When our nation’s schools discriminate based on race and sex, and embed divisive racial and sexual ideologies into their curriculum, it not only violates the law, but it also warps our children’s education," Jacob Meckler, America First Legal Counsel, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "The Department of Education should investigate the Upper Arlington School District and, if appropriate, terminate federal taxpayer funding."

Fox News Digital reached out to the school district and Department of Education for comment. 

Upper Arlington School District has been in hot water over DEI practices in the past when  video surfaced in 2023 showing district officials discussing how they can push critical race theory covertly, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

"There's more than one way to skin a cat," Matthew Boaz, the executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion of Upper Arlington Schools, said. "You can pass a bill that you can't teach CRT in a classroom, but if you didn't cover programming, or you didn't cover extracurricular activities or something like that, that message might still get out. Oops."

In a statement to Fox News Digital Superintendent Hunt said, "On April 30, Upper Arlington Schools received a copy of a letter sent to the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights by an attorney writing on behalf of the advocacy group America First Legal.  The letter accuses the district of ‘illegal DEI policies,’ but fails to identify any specific practices or policies that are actually in place in the district."

"We take any concerns of discrimination seriously and we will continue, as always, in our commitment to our mission of challenging and supporting every student, every step of the way, to our vision that every student is prepared to serve, lead, and succeed, and to our values - start with heart, strength in team, and contagious drive.  Our new Excellence & Innovation 2030 Strategic Plan is rooted in these commitments, and we will remain focused on providing our students with the high quality educational experience that our community expects."

Hunt added that "we will certainly cooperate fully" if an investigation is opened.

A Dept. of Education spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the department "doesn't confirm complaints."

Earlier this year, the Department of Education issued a letter warning public schools across the country that they must remove diversity, equity and inclusion policies or risk losing federal funding. 

"Institutions that fail to comply with federal civil rights law may, consistent with applicable law, face potential loss of federal funding," Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights in the Department of Education, said in the letter.

The letter said the "overt and covert racial discrimination that has become widespread in this Nation's educational institutions" will no longer be tolerated.

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this report

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed a school choice bill into law on Saturday that will allocate $1 billion for a voucher program that allows parents to use public funds to pay for their child's private school tuition.

The program's implementation caps off a yearslong effort by Republicans who have been advocating for school choice. Voucher supporters have long focused on Texas, where previous efforts failed amid resistance from Democrats and rural Republicans.

Last month, President Donald Trump called on state lawmakers ahead of a key vote on the bill to finally send the measure to Abbott’s desk. The Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 2 by a party-line 19-12 vote on April 24 after the state House approved the bill by an 86-63 vote the week before.

"When I ran for reelection in 2022, I promised school choice for the families of Texas," Abbott said before signing the bill at the governor's mansion. "Today, we deliver on that promise."

LIBERAL SUPREME COURT JUSTICES GRILL RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION IN LANDMARK SCHOOL CHOICE CASE

Abbott was joined by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, state House Speaker Dustin Burrows, bill author and state Sen. Brandon Creighton, U.S. Senator John Cornyn, school choice advocates and students and their families.

"From here forward, [Texas students] will have unlimited potential and unlimited options in education to pursue for the rest of their path and education and what their families do best, and that in of itself was worth the journey," Creighton said.

Texas joins more than 30 other states that already have similar programs. The Lone Star State will have the largest voucher program in the country.

School vouchers have been Abbott’s main focus this year, following last year's election cycle in which he called for Republican primary voters to remove from office GOP lawmakers who voted against a similar bill in the last legislative session that the governor had supported.

'BAD FOR PARENTS': SCHOOL CHOICE SUPPORTERS PROTEST EXCLUSION OF RELIGIOUS CHARTER IN SUPREME COURT CASE

Supporters of the bill say it will give parents more options by allowing them to take their children out of poor-performing public schools in favor of alternative public or private school choices.

"Gone are the days that families are limited to only the schools assigned by government," Abbott said. "The day has arrived that empowers parents to choose the school that is best for their child."

Democrats and Republicans in rural districts who have criticized the program argue that it will pull financial resources from Texas' public school students and subsidize the private education of wealthy families.

"Let’s be clear: this bill is only best for the richest people in the state, and rural Texas especially will get the shaft," Texas Democratic Party chairman Kendall Scudder said in a statement. "To top it all off, Abbott’s school shut-downs are in full-swing with no end in sight."

Starting next school year, families can receive $10,000 per year to help pay for their child's private school tuition or costs for home-schooling and virtual learning programs. Children with disabilities can qualify for as much as $30,000 per year.

The program will be capped at $1 billion for the first year and cover up to 90,000 students. But by 2030, it could cost up to $4.5 billion per year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

An adjunct professor at Harvard spoke out Thursday after the Ivy League university’s president, Alan Garber, apologized as scathing internal reports exposed that antisemitism and Islamophobia were prevalent on campus. 

Eugene Litvak, who teaches at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that one of the nation’s top universities "was not ready" for the anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic behavior that has plagued Harvard since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

"Obviously, I was really, really upset," Litvak told Fox. "What happened at Harvard after October 7th, and [at] the university, in my opinion, again, that's my personal opinion, the university was not ready to face these kinds of challenges. None of the universities were ready."

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY JANITORS SUE ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS ACCUSED OF HOLDING THEM HOSTAGE IN CAMPUS BUILDING

"I'm commending, actually, the letter from the president of the university," the Harvard professor added. "What I really like, in science, we say that you cannot solve any problem unless you formulate it. So he formulated the problem in his letter. He acknowledged that there is a problem. Otherwise, nothing would happen."

Harvard president Alan Garber apologized in a letter Tuesday after internal reports unveiled antisemitism and Islamophobia’s presence at the Ivy League school. Garber described the findings as "disturbing."

HARVARD PRESIDENT APOLOGIZES FOR FAILURE TO ADDRESS ANTISEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA AFTER NEW REPORTS RELEASED

"I think that's a step in the absolutely right direction," Litvak told Fox News Digital. "I would like to see the fruits of it. But again, I was very, very pleased because of the acknowledgment that there is such a problem."

Despite Garber’s apology and admission, President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social Friday stating that the administration will be "taking away Harvard's Tax Exempt Status," noting "It's what they deserve!" 

In addition to solving the troubling culture of one of America’s top universities, the Harvard School of Public Health professor also stressed the importance of addressing the imminent danger publicly funded healthcare programs like Medicaid and Medicare face. Litvak, who serves as President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Optimization (IHO), noted that the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) cuts to the government would not harm the programs.

"I think Medicare and Medicaid are facing danger, regardless of what DOGE is doing," Litvak explained. "Medicare actually is going to become insolvent in 2036. It's very close. And Medicaid is not in the best position. I can tell you, we have, last year we had 4.9, this year I believe we would have more than $5 trillion spending."

DR. OZ VOWS TO 'WAGE WAR ON FRAUD, WASTE, ABUSE,' PRESERVE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID

The professor stated that reducing government spending, similar to DOGE cuts, on healthcare can be a solution to the looming crisis.

"I agree with the goal to reduce waste. It was a very timely call for waste reduction. It's much-needed, the Harvard professor added. "Before doing that, if I were making decisions, before firing people, I would say, ‘how can we improve the efficiency of what we already have?’"

While Litvak pushes for change in the public healthcare space, a dark cloud continues to hang over the Boston-based university as tensions between the Trump Administration and the Ivy League school have shown no signs of cooling down. 

A lawsuit over $2.2 billion in frozen research grants is still ongoing, and the funds may likely be held up into the summer. Harvard president Alan Garber said the "consequences" of the decision to withhold grants would be "severe and long-lasting", and may impact work similar to that which Professor Litvak is hoping to accomplish. 

In response to the suit, a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital in April that the "gravy train of federal assistance to institutions like Harvard, which enrich their grossly overpaid bureaucrats with tax dollars from struggling American families is coming to an end."

President Donald Trump declared Friday that "We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status," saying "It’s what they deserve!" 

The announcement from Trump comes after Fox News reported last week that his administration asked the Internal Revenue Service to revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status.  

The Ivy League school's failure to address antisemitism on campus is grounds for losing its 501(c)(3) status, sources said at the time.

Trump said in mid-April that Harvard had "lost its way" and didn't deserve federal funding.

"Harvard has been hiring almost all woke, Radical Left, idiots and ‘birdbrains’ who are only capable of teaching FAILURE to students and so-called ‘future leaders,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Look just to the recent past at their plagiarizing President, who so greatly embarrassed Harvard before the United States Congress."

"Many others, like these Leftist dopes, are teaching at Harvard, and because of that, Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World’s Great Universities or Colleges," he continued.

"Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds," Trump also said.

Harvard has become a target of Trump’s broader crackdown on universities, much of which is in response to last year’s anti-Israel unrest that erupted on campuses across the country.

On April 11, the Trump administration sent a letter to Harvard University President Dr. Alan Garber and Harvard Corporation Lead Member Penny Pritzker outlining the institution’s failures and a list of demands from the White House. In the letter, the administration accused Harvard of failing to uphold civil rights laws and to foster an "environment that produces intellectual creativity."

The Trump administration threatened to pull federal funding if Harvard did not reform governance and leadership, as well as its hiring and admissions practices by August 2025. The letter emphasized the need for Harvard to change its international admissions process to avoid admitting students who are "hostile" to American values or support terrorism or antisemitism.

Harvard refused to comply with the demands, with Garber saying that "no government… should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and areas of study and inquiry they can pursue." The university later filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its "unlawful" freezing of funds.

The Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in funding to Harvard, and is reportedly looking to slash another billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Fox News' Andrea Margolis, Alexis McAdams and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pushed back on Wednesday against claims that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been removing children from school.

In a "100 Days of Fighting Fake News" news release from DHS, the agency responded to many narratives that have been reported by various media outlets since President Donald Trump was inaugurated – one of them being that ICE agents are entering elementary schools to conduct immigration enforcement.

"ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) works relentlessly to protect Americans, especially children, who are put in danger by illegal alien activity," DHS said. "This includes investigations into potential child sex trafficking."

Addressing incidents at three elementary schools specifically, DHS explained that ICE agents were on campus for reasons not related to "enforcement action."

EXCLUSIVE: DHS FIRES BACK AT CLAIMS ICE RAIDED 'WRONG HOME' IN OKLAHOMA SMUGGLING INVESTIGATION 

Local news outlets in Washington, D.C., reported at the end of March that HSI agents were seen on the campus of HD Cooke Elementary School, prompting concerns over their presence. 

Though DHS did not share what the agents were doing, the agency said, "ICE did not conduct any enforcement action at the school. HSI agents were present at the school unrelated to any kind of enforcement action."

TRUMP DHS SLAMS MORE ‘SOB STORY’ REPORTING AFTER TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS SEND SOS SIGNAL 

There were also reports in early April of HSI agents at Russel Elementary School and Lillian Elementary School in Los Angeles.

Agents were "conducting wellness checks on children who arrived unaccompanied at the border" and that the visits "had nothing to do with immigration enforcement," DHS said.

Homeland Security said it is "leading efforts to conduct welfare checks" on unaccompanied children to "ensure that they are safe and not being exploited, abused, and sex trafficked."

"Unlike the previous administration, President Trump and Secretary Noem take the responsibility to protect children seriously and will continue to work with federal law enforcement to reunite children with their families," DHS said.

Nearly 5,000 unaccompanied children have been reunited with a relative or safe guardian in the past 70 days, the agency said, crediting the reunification to Noem and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

FIRST ON FOX: Leaked video obtained by Fox News Digital shows school administrators at an Illinois school of medicine rejecting multiple Trump executive orders, including on combatting DEI, and outlining how the school plans to fight back against them. 

Trump’s executive order on gender ideology "is an attack on women" and on "basic human rights," according to Dr. Jerry Kruse, Dean, Provost, and CEO of SIU School of Medicine. Kruse recently gave a speech in a small group discussion about Trump’s executive orders and actions that was obtained by the medical and policy advocacy group Do No Harm.

"We will resist obeying in advance. We won't do any anticipatory obedience," Kruse said. "The existing laws have not changed, no court directives will require any change in compliance at this time."

Kruse added that "these executive orders and actions and the general philosophy that they espouse constitute direct attacks on all that is important to us" while mentioning science, higher education and healthcare. 

'WOKE' HOSPITAL COULD BE IN CROSSHAIRS OF TRUMP ADMIN AFTER SCATHING COMPLAINT ALLEGES DEI DISCRIMINATION

"More importantly, these orders and actions constitute a direct attack on the people we serve, the people to whom we are accountable."

Kruse explained that the school of medicine is "very fortunate" to be part of a university system that is "on top of it" in terms of pushing back on Trump’s executive orders.

Kruse also claimed that the executive orders on immigration and DEI from the Trump administration are "an attack on human rights and on justice and fairness" that "have engendered fear among large segments of the population of law-abiding people."

At one point in his speech, Kruse said he would provide employees with the "resources" to "fight back."

The SIU school system has been active in promoting DEI in recent years, and it was a topic discussed in the presentation. 

TRUMP'S CRACKDOWN ON HARVARD, 'WOKE' COLLEGES WILL TAKE MORE THAN 100 DAYS TO LEAVE LASTING REFORM: PROFESSOR

"The work that we are doing around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a life or death issue for some people," Dr. Wendi El-Amin, Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, said during the presentation.

The school’s website hosts a page featuring its work on DEI that says it works to "ensure that our students, residents, faculty, and staff reflect the demographics of central and southern Illinois while also equipping them with the knowledge and skills to address health disparities through culturally responsive care, patient access, education, and health literacy initiatives."

In February of this year, the SIU Board of Trustees reaffirmed its commitment to DEI and the school’s VP of anti-racism and DEI, Sheila Caldwell, claimed that DEI is "lifesaving" and has had measurable improvements for minority students in retention rates.

SIUSOM receives millions in active grant funding from NIH and HHS and Dr. Donald Torry, Associate Dean for Research, said during the presentation that none of the grant funding has been affected so far.

In terms of immigration executive orders, Dr. Vidhya Prakash, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Population Health and Chief Medical Officer, said during the presentation that a school dean recently sent an email to faculty members instructing them not to comply with ICE and that they should call security if a situation arises. 

"So please understand that no member of our school of medicine whether it's an employee or its a trainee, should have to engage in conversation or discourse with ICE," she said, adding that the school has patients who are "afraid" and live in fear of being apprehended. 

"Continue doing what you have been doing," Paulette Dove, Senior Counsel for Health Affairs for the SIU system, said during the presentation, adding that the "law has not changed."

"These issues demand a strong institutional and collective response," Kruse said. "Thankfully, the SIU system stands firm with a strong voice. SIU president Dan Mahoney has stated that we will hold our ground and that 'the executive actions are antithetical to the values of our institution, the SIU system.'"

Lauren Crocks, the university's director of marketing, communications, and engagement, told Fox News Digital that "Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is committed to following the law."

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller touted Trump's efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs on Thursday.

Miller appeared alongside White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a Thursday morning briefing, declaring that the administration is bringing a "system of merit" back to the U.S.

"This administration is not going to let our society devolve into communist, woke, DEI strangulation," Miller said. "We are going to have a system of merit."

"It's not just a social and cultural issue, it's an economic issue. When you hire, retain and recruit based on merit, as President Trump has directed, you advance innovation, you advance growth, you advance investment, you advance job creation," he added.

Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller touted President Donald Trump's efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs on Thursday.

Miller appeared alongside White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a Thursday morning briefing, declaring that the administration is bringing a "system of merit" back to the U.S.

"This administration is not going to let our society devolve into communist, woke, DEI strangulation," Miller said. "We are going to have a system of merit."

"It's not just a social and cultural issue, it's an economic issue. When you hire, retain and recruit based on merit as President Trump has directed, you advance innovation, you advance growth, you advance investment, you advance job creation," he continued.

DEFUNDING DEI: HERE'S HOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS UNDONE BIDEN'S VERY PRIZED PROGRAMS

"When a citizen goes to, say, a hospital in a medical emergency, they don't care what race or sex their doctor or their nurse is. They want the best treatment they can get in that emergency," he added.

WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY

Trump's administration has taken big steps to cut DEI programs throughout the federal government, from the Pentagon to the Department of Education.

Trump shut down all DEI offices across the federal government during his first week in office and signed a number of executive orders to quickly undo former President Joe Biden’s efforts on the issue.

The administration is also leveraging federal funding in an effort to force the nation's top universities to eliminate DEI programs as well.

In February, the Department of Education also warned state education departments that they must remove DEI policies or risk losing federal funding.

The Trump administration threatened to pull federal funding if Harvard did not reform governance and leadership, as well as its hiring and admissions practices by August 2025. The letter emphasized the need for Harvard to change its international admissions process to avoid admitting students who are "hostile" to American values or support terrorism or antisemitism.

Harvard has so far refused to comply.

Fox News' Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

Dozens of school choice advocates gathered outside the Supreme Court Wednesday as justices weighed whether public funds could go directly to religious charter schools.

The protesters rallied and held signs that said "all students, all options, all dollars" and "free to learn," as they advocated for expanded access to alternatives to traditional public schools, especially for students who struggle in those settings.

The case, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond, challenges a ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court that struck down a contract establishing St. Isidore – a publicly funded, Catholic online school – as a violation of state and federal law. Now before the U.S. Supreme Court, advocates argue that excluding religious schools from state-run charter programs amounts to unconstitutional discrimination.

"The court has time and time again said that the Free Exercise Clause demands that the government treat religious and secular organizations the same, and that’s not what happened here. The state excluded St. Isidore simply because of its religious character, that’s wrong and bad for parents," said Kate Anderson, an attorney at ADF working on the case. 

LIBERAL SUPREME COURT JUSTICES GRILL RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION IN LANDMARK SCHOOL CHOICE CASE

For students like Contina Jones’ son, public schools are not always a good fit. "He was very sad, very emotional every day, he was overstimulated, teachers were in and out, and I needed something that was able to cater to how my son learns," said Jones, a Mississippi resident who joined the crowd outside the court. "Every child, regardless of zip code, should be able to go to a school that is for them for their families."

The justices are being asked to weigh whether a religious charter school is entitled to the same treatment and funding as a secular one – a question that could redefine how states draw the line between church and state in public education.

"Charter schools are not public schools in the same way as traditional ones," said Thomas Fisher, executive vice president of EdChoice. "They’re designed to have curricula other than what public schools provide. The First Amendment protects their free exercise and doesn’t prohibit them from exercising their religion."

At issue is whether the school should be considered a public school – which have largely been considered as extensions of the state government, and required to be nonreligious under the Establishment Clause – or whether it should be considered private entities or contractors.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican who is running for governor, filed the lawsuit against the school, stating that the establishment of St. Isidore would violate both the Oklahoma Constitution and the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Public funds should not be used to support religious institutions, he emphasized, asserting that such a move could set a dangerous precedent for government endorsement of religion.

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ARGUMENTS ON SCHOOL CHOICE CASE INVOLVING CATHOLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

The Oklahoma Supreme Court agreed with Drummond's assessment, ruling that charter schools are public entities and must remain nonsectarian. The court's decision highlighted concerns that approving St. Isidore as a religious charter school could lead to state-sponsored religious indoctrination, undermining the neutrality of public education.

"The key here is that this school is its own school. This school is not a state school – it’s a charter school. It has the ability to set its own curriculum," added John Tidwell, Oklahoma state director of Americans for Prosperity. 

He called the case a "great test to see what the opportunity is for similar schools all across the country."

"We’re really excited by this opportunity." 

Erika Donalds, chair of America First Policy Institute’s Center for Education Opportunity, echoed the sentiment, framing the case as a potential expansion of "the free market of education."

"St. Isidore is just one example of many high-quality options that are out there that could be chartered for families," Donalds said. "The Supreme Court has struck down discrimination against religious institutions in other contexts. If they can offer high-quality education, families should be able to access those options with public funds."

Donalds emphasized that the choice remains with families. "Parents are not required to choose a religiously affiliated charter school, but they should have the option to do so — so long as financial and academic accountability measures are met."

She also pointed to bipartisan support for school choice nationwide.

"We’ve seen polling that shows 70% of Republicans, nearly 70% of Democrats, and Independents all support school choice. This movement has momentum, and it’s not going to stop."

The court’s ruling, expected by the end of June, could have sweeping implications for charter school policy and religious liberty jurisprudence across the country, and comes at a time when 45 U.S. states currently authorize charter schools.

Fox News' Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report. 

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the creation of an Office of Parental Rights in the Sunshine State that will lend legal muscle to help parents fight for the rights they've been granted by God.

Uthmeier pointed out during remarks on Tuesday that "it is not the role of the government to raise kids," but that the role is parents' "God-given right." He said that "parents have the God-given rights to raise their kids the way they deem appropriate."

The attorney general said that there will be a "team of litigators focused on fighting" battles that parents alert them about — he noted that there will be a portal where parents can reach out.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO STOP ENFORCING NEW IMMIGRATION LAW

When someone asked about the potential costs, Uthmeier noted that the efforts will also involve working with nonprofits and outside groups. 

He indicated that he is not seeking to rack up costs, but noted, "when it comes to fightin' the right fights, I'll spend every dollar we have."

A press release about the effort indicates that Uthmeier's Office of Parental rights can help with a range of cases including, "Denial of access to school records," "Lack of consent for biometric or personal data collection," "Unauthorized healthcare, counseling, or mental health services," "Interference with educational choices," "Failure to notify parents or suspected criminal offenses," "Coercion or encouragement to withhold information," "Objectionable instructional or library materials," "Violations of parental notification for health services," "Restrictions on parental participation in school governance," as well as "Unauthorized data sharing or surveys."

SUNSHINE STATE DEM ANNOUNCES SWITCH TO NO AFFILIATION: ‘DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN FLORIDA IS DEAD’

Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon have both cheered on the effort.

"Great initiative that will ensure that Florida’s protections for the rights of parents are upheld," the governor said in a post on X.

McMahon noted in a tweet, "Parents have the right to know what’s going on in their child’s education and to make the decisions. It’s great to see a state showing how enforcing parents’ rights is a priority without the federal government micromanaging them."

DESANTIS EXCORIATES FL HOUSE LEADERSHIP AMID REPUBLICAN CIVIL WAR, ACCUSING THEM OF ‘REVOLT AGAINST’ VOTERS

Uthmeier thanked McMahon for her support.

"It’s great to have an administration in DC that respects state sovereignty and, most importantly, the rights of parents to direct the upbringing of their children," he noted in a tweet when responding to her comments.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard oral arguments in a case involving the nation's first religious charter school, and whether it is eligible for state funding despite its religious teachings. 

At issue in the landmark case is a virtual Catholic charter school in Oklahoma, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, and whether the school is eligible to receive public funding because of its religious teachings. Lawyers representing the school have argued that it is operating like a private actor working under a contract with the state, and asked the high court on Wednesday to overturn an earlier decision by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

During Wednesday's arguments, lawyers for St. Isidore argued that just because they receive state funding does not mean they are a state actor. They also noted recent Supreme Court precedent, which they said has been in their favor.

This court has "repeatedly" held that "a state violates the free exercise clause when it excludes religious observers from otherwise available public benefits," James Campbell, an attorney arguing for the Oklahoma state school board on behalf of the religious charter schools, said Wednesday.

100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND 'TEFLON DON': TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT

The case pits two First Amendment protections against one another – the Establishment Clause, which prohibits state governments from favoring or endorsing one religion over another; and the Free Exercise Clause, which establishes the right of individuals to practice their religion freely and without government interference that unduly burdens them from doing so.

During oral arguments Wednesday, the justices focused on two major questions. The first is whether charter schools should be treated as public schools, which are considered extensions of the state, and therefore subject to the Establishment Cause and its ban establishing or endorsing a religion, or whether it should be considered a private entities or contractor.

If justices back St. Isidore's argument that it should be considered as private entity, the second question is whether Oklahoma’s actions violate the Free Exercise Clause of the Constitution, by placing what the school argues is an undue burdens on its religious mission. 

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson pressed St. Isidore attorney Michael McGinley ​​Wednesday on their contention that charter schools are being discriminated against under the Free Exercise Clause. 

Jackson noted that at the same time St. Isidore is arguing it is being discriminated against, it is also asking the court to grant it the ability that no one else has: which is to establish and operate a school in Oklahoma that is funded in part by the state.

"Now, in this case, St. Isidore doesn't want to establish a secular school, which is what the public benefit is. Instead, they want to establish a religious school," Jackson said. 

"So as I see it, it's not being denied a benefit that everyone else gets. It's being denied a benefit that no one else gets, which is the ability to establish a religious public school," she added.

McGinley said in response that Oklahoma’s state-created charter school program can’t be limited to nonsectarian schools, since that would be a form of discrimination.  

"When you open a program to other private organizations, you can’t exclude the religious," McGinley told the justices.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE

Earlier, the justices pressed lawyers for St. Isidore on how they would treat individuals with different religious backgrounds at the school.

"What would you do with a charter school that doesn't want to teach evolution, or it doesn't want to teach history, including the history of slavery, or it doesn't want to include having children of another faith in them, as this one does?" Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked Campbell. 

"This one does not say it won't exclude children of other faiths. But it said, if you want to attend this school, you have to attend Mass. You have to accept the teachings of the church with respect to certain principles. So is that something you look at?"

In response, Campbell noted that the school does not require students to affirm its religious beliefs.

St. Isidore "allows exceptions for anyone that doesn't want to attend Mass," he said, and says "point-blank" in its handbook that there is no requirement that a student must affirm the beliefs of the school.

The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved St. Isidore's contract request in June 2023, making them eligible to receive public funds.

But its ability to receive it was later blocked by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which ruled that using public funds for the school was in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. That argument was appealed to the Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case last October.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has argued that the school would be a state actor if it received state funding. "Charter schools no doubt offer important educational innovations, but they bear all the classic indicia of public schools," Drummond argued in an earlier Supreme Court filing.

If its "charter-school law violates the Free Exercise Clause, then this is one of the most far-reaching free exercise violations in the nation’s history," he argued.

The court's decision here could have wide-ranging ramifications far beyond Oklahoma, as at least 45 U.S. states currently authorize charter schools.

The charter school states on its site that it "fully embraces" the teachings of the Catholic Church, "fully incorporates" them "into every aspect" of the curriculum, and that it intends to participate "in the evangelizing mission of the church." 

"No student will be compelled or placed in a charter school except by private choice," McGinley told justices shortly before oral arguments concluded, noting that in contrast, "a ruling for us will only increase choice."

Fox News's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday in the case of a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma that is seeking the support of public funds.

St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School would be the nation's first religious charter school, setting a precedent sure to be capitalized on by other religious institutions. Both the Oklahoma Supreme Court and Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, have argued funding the school is unconstitutional. 

Oklahoma Gov. Gov. Kevin Stitt, also a Republican, argues the First Amendment allows funding for the school.

For Wednesday's Supreme Court hearing, the St. Isidore case has been consolidated with the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board, another similar case.

Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the school In the brief, the Republican senators flipped Drummond's First Amendment argument on the attorney general, arguing Oklahoma violated the First Amendment by denying St. Isidore a charter because it's a religious school. 

LGBTQ CHRISTIANS CRUSADE AGAINST TRUMP'S RELIGIOUSLY 'HOSTILE' POLICIES DURING HOLY WEEK

"It’s no secret that parents want to educate their children in line with their values. And a public good shouldn’t be denied to anyone based on their religion. The outcome of this case will be revolutionary for religious liberty and education freedom, and Oklahoma is at the forefront," Stitt's office said in a statement.

100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND 'TEFLON DON': TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, which opposes St. Isidore's effort, argued the case is a slippery slope that would have a far-reaching impact.

"We strongly believe the Supreme Court should maintain that charter schools are public, which is based on 30 years of law. To allow a religious charter school, the Court would be redefining charter schools as private, thereby putting charter school funding at significant risk and dramatically reducing access to school choice for millions of families across the country," the organization's president, Starlee Coleman, told Fox News Digital in a statement.

The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved St. Isidore's contract request in June 2023, allowing them to receive public funds. Lawsuits soon brought the case up to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which ruled against the school last year.

The Supreme Court is now reviewing that ruling by Oklahoma's highest court, which found that funding the school violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from making any law "respecting an establishment of religion."

"Charter schools no doubt offer important educational innovations, but they bear all the classic indicia of public schools," Drummond argued in SCOTUS filing.

Advocates of the school point to the Free Exercise clause, which has been used in recent Supreme Court rulings to defend public funding going to religious institutions. 

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE

"A State need not subsidize private education," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue in 2020. "But once a State decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious."

The amicus brief from GOP lawmakers made a similar argument, claiming the Oklahoma Supreme Court's ruling was ill-considered.

"Upholding the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act with the included exclusion of religious organizations would set a dangerous precedent, signaling that religious organizations are not welcome in public projects. This would not only violate the First Amendment, but it would also deprive society of the valuable contributions that these organizations make," the Republican senators wrote. 

Fox News' Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report

President Donald Trump signed at least 137 executive orders in his 100 days in the Oval Office, trouncing his predecessors' respective records on signed EOs in the same time period, dating back to at least President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

Trump signed 26 executive orders in his first day back in the Oval Office, and a total of 45 in his first 10 days. His 137 executive orders in his first 100 days is a benchmark that has not been met since at least Roosevelt, whose presidency began in 1933. 

Trump's executive order blitz has included rescinding dozens of policies implemented by the Biden administration, including cutting red tape surrounding the energy industry, striping diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from the fabric of the U.S. government and promoting the proliferation of artificial intelligence. 

Trump kicked off his executive order blitz on Jan. 20, his inauguration day, by focusing on rescinding Biden-era policies, as well as other orders such as ending the "weaponization" of the federal government, "restoring" free speech and designating certain cartels as terrorist organizations.

DEFUNDING DEI: HERE'S HOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS UNDONE BIDEN'S PRIZED PROGRAMS

Trump's Jan. 20 order called Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions revoked dozens of Biden-era policies, including Biden's 2021 order titled Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government; the 46th president's 2021 executive order called Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration; and Biden's 2022 executive order called Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals.

"The previous administration has embedded deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal, and radical practices within every agency and office of the Federal Government," reads Trump's order rescinding Biden's presidential actions. "The injection of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI) into our institutions has corrupted them by replacing hard work, merit, and equality with a divisive and dangerous preferential hierarchy. Orders to open the borders have endangered the American people and dissolved Federal, State, and local resources that should be used to benefit the American people. Climate extremism has exploded inflation and overburdened businesses with regulation."

WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY

Trump's second presidency has made education a top priority amid the flurry of executive orders across his first few months. 

Trump signed an executive order in March to dismantle the Department of Education and return oversight power of school systems to state leaders after years of the U.S. dragging behind other nations such as Finland and Japan in overall student performance. 

"Everybody knows it's right, and we have to get our children educated," Trump said while signing the order. "We're not doing well with the world of education in this country, and we haven't for a long time." 

Trump also signed an executive order in January that removes federal funding from K-12 schools that teach critical race theory and DEI curriculum.

TRUMP SIGNS EDUCATION-FOCUSED EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON AI, SCHOOL DISCIPLINE, ACCREDITATION, FOREIGN GIFTS AND MORE

"In many cases, innocent children are compelled to adopt identities as either victims or oppressors solely based on their skin color and other immutable characteristics," reads the order called Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling. "In other instances, young men and women are made to question whether they were born in the wrong body and whether to view their parents and their reality as enemies to be blamed. These practices not only erode critical thinking but also sow division, confusion, and distrust, which undermine the very foundations of personal identity and family unity."

Trump signed an executive order in February that prohibits schools and colleges that receive federal funds and are subject to Title IX from allowing men on women's sports teams and in women's locker rooms, and another in January expanding school choice.

The Trump presidency established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in January through an executive order that renamed the Obama-era United States Digital Service to the United States DOGE Service.

DOGE has been a thorn in the side of Democrats since Musk, the office's public leader, and his teams began working through various federal agencies in the search of government overspending, mismanagement and corruption. DOGE has since saved an estimated $160 billion through cancellations of government contracts, grant cancellations, workforce reductions, asset sales and other cuts, according to the DOGE website.

‘THIS IS INDOCTRINATION, NOT EDUCATION': PLAINTIFF IN SCOTUS CASE SLAMS SCHOOLS FOR FORCING LGBTQ+ CURRICULUM

"He’s an incredible … brilliant guy," Trump said of Musk this month. "He was a tremendous help both in the campaign and in what he's done with DOGE."

Energy has also been a top priority for the Trump administration, with the president vowing to "unleash U.S. energy" that he said would lower prices for American consumers while bolstering the U.S. job market. 

DOGE SLASHES 'WASTEFUL' 'PROBLEM-SOLVING' CONTRACT WORTH $50K IN LATEST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS

Trump signed an executive order this month called Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and Amending Executive Order 14241 that will work to cut through red tape in the coal industry, including directing the National Energy Dominance Council to designate coal as a "mineral," end a current pause to coal leasing on federal lands, promote coal and coal technology exports and encourage the use of coal to power artificial intelligence initiatives.

The order also instructs the Department of Justice to identify every "unconstitutional" state or local regulation that is "putting our coal miners out of business," according to Trump.

"The value of untapped coal in our country is 100 times greater than the value of all the gold at Fort Knox, and we're going to unleash it and make America rich and powerful again under this order," Trump said Tuesday ahead of signing the order.

"Pound for pound, coal is the single most reliable, durable, secure and powerful form of energy," Trump said. "It's cheap, incredibly efficient, high density, and it's almost indestructible. You could drop a bomb on it, and it's going to be there for you to use the next day, which you can't say with any other form of energy."

He also made energy a top issue on his first day back in office, signing an executive order addressing Alaska's abundant natural resources, such as oil and timber. The order expanded and expedited the permitting and leasing of energy and natural resource projects in the Last Frontier State. 

US FEDERAL AGENCIES TO 'UNLEASH' COAL ENERGY AFTER BIDEN 'STIFLED' IT: 'MINE, BABY, MINE'

"The State of Alaska holds an abundant and largely untapped supply of natural resources including, among others, energy, mineral, timber, and seafood," the Jan. 20 order reads. "Unlocking this bounty of natural wealth will raise the prosperity of our citizens while helping to enhance our Nation’s economic and national security for generations to come. By developing these resources to the fullest extent possible, we can help deliver price relief for Americans, create high-quality jobs for our citizens, ameliorate our trade imbalances, augment the Nation’s exercise of global energy dominance, and guard against foreign powers weaponizing energy supplies in theaters of geopolitical conflict."

Following a spiraling immigration crisis under the Biden administration, Trump signed a handful of executive orders to lock down the border and end the crisis.

BIDEN BLOCKS NEW MINING IN REGION THAT PRODUCES ABOUT 40% OF NATION'S COAL: 'IT'S A DISASTER'

In his first days in office, Trump signed a handful of immigration-focused executive orders, including directing the federal government to resume construction of the border wall; reinstating the Migrant Protection Protocols, known as the Remain in Mexico policy; deploying U.S. troops to the border under U.S. Northern Command; designating international cartels and organizations, including MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations. 

Trump said ahead of taking office that he would move at "historic speed and strength" in just the first few days of his administration. 

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ENDING USE OF TAXPAYER MONEY TO 'INCENTIVIZE OR SUPPORT' ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

"Every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden administration will be repealed within hours of when I take the oath of office," Trump said in the lead-up to his inauguration.

Trump will hold a rally in Michigan – the battleground state in which the Republican president has ended each of his three presidential campaigns – to celebrate his first 100 days in the Oval Office. The rally will be held in Macomb County on Tuesday evening.

FIRST ON FOX: Lawmakers will put forward a bill Monday to put the force of law behind President Donald Trump's executive order prohibiting federal funds from going to colleges that still mandate a coronavirus vaccine jab.

Reps. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., and August Pfluger, R-Texas, will file the No Vaccine Mandates in Higher Education Act, chiefly noting that former President Joe Biden ended the official national emergency for COVID-19 in April 2023.

In comments to Fox News Digital, Pfluger said the pandemic "opened Pandora’s Box to a lengthy list of overreaching policies and mandates from the government, institutions, and companies alike."

"As we work to restore common sense and liberties back to the American people, I am proud to co-lead this legislation to ensure universities can no longer force their students to have the COVID-19 vaccine," he said.

FIVE YEARS AFTER COVID LOCKDOWNS: THE 5 MOST BIZARRE ‘STOP THE SPREAD’ MOMENTS

The bill reads that "no federal funds may be made available to any institution of higher education that requires its students or staff to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of enrollment or employment, or receiving any benefit, service, or contract."

In February, Trump wrote critically that some institutions are "conditioning their education" based on undergoing the COVID jab.

"Parents and young adults should be empowered with accurate data regarding the remote risks of serious illness associated with COVID-19 for children and young adults, as well as how those risks can be mitigated through various measures, and left free to make their own decisions accordingly," Trump wrote in his order.

"Given the incredibly low risk of serious COVID-19 illness for children and young adults, threatening to shut them out of an education is an intolerable infringement on personal freedom. Such mandates usurp parental authority and burden students of many faiths."

'CUOMO CHIP' LOOPHOLE CRUMBLES AS NY NOW WANTS ‘SUBSTANTIAL FOOD’ SOLD WITH BOOZE

A February survey by Best Colleges listed 15 schools nationwide, particularly in California, Georgia and Pennsylvania, still had their COVID vaccine requirements intact.

During the federal coronavirus emergency, some universities, including Columbia in New York City, required not only the COVID-19 vaccine, but the ensuing boosters as well for at least some portions of their student population.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In Columbia's case, proof of booster doses were required for study-abroad students, according to a 2022 notice from the Ivy League institution.

Princeton University in New Jersey required boosters for its 2022 on-campus semester.

"Compliance with the vaccine policy is necessary to maintain prox access to campus facilities and to continue student progress to degree," a statement from that semester read.

Weekly PCR testing for COVID-19 was also mandatory for a time at Cornell University in upstate New York.

Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith criticized state Senate Democrats for equating a GOP legislative proposal intended to root out diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education to the Three-Fifths Compromise. 

"They were saying this is a bad bill because it actually encourages discrimination, just like the Three-Fifths Compromise going all the way back to the foundations of our nation. I would like to share with you the Three-Fifths Compromise is not a pro-discrimination compromise," Beckwith, a Republican, said in a video shared on X after an emotional floor debate. "It was not a pro-discrimination or a slave-driving compromise that the founders made. It was actually just the opposite."

"Don't buy into the DEI radical revisionist history that is happening in today's culture," he said. "Know your history. Go back and study the documents. Read them for yourself like I have. Go look them up and you will find that the Three-Fifths Compromise and many other things like that were designed to make sure that justice was equal for all people and equality really meant equality for all." 

INDIANA GOV PULLS PLUG ON DEI IN ‘EXHILARATING’ MOVE FOR STATE

The legislation in question, Senate Bill 289, ultimately passed both chambers of the state legislature last week and heads to Republican Gov. Mike Braun's desk. The bill restricts DEI programs at K–12 schools, charter schools, state agencies, and public universities and allows people to sue such institutions if they compel students, teachers or administrators to adopt that one race, sex, ethnicity, religion, or national origin "is inherently superior or inferior" to another, that a person's moral character is determined by one of those characteristics, or that a person should be blamed for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, sex, ethnicity, religion, or national origin.

The GOP-sponsored bill – titled "unlawful discrimination" – also includes transparency requirements for institutions to post any DEI-related trainings online and repeals provisions concerning university diversity committees, among other reforms. It follows an executive action Braun, a former U.S. senator, issued when he took office as governor in January prioritizing merit over DEI in education and state government. 

Critics of the bill in the state Senate last week said the proposal leaves out of consideration a legacy of discrimination in the U.S., citing the Three-Fifths Compromise, Jim Crow laws and real estate redlining.

As for the Three-Fifths Compromise, Beckwith said it was "a compromise that the North made with the South. At the time, there were basically 13 independent nations." 

"They had not really created a Constitution. They were sort of a European Union-esque nation, and they were saying to the pro-slave states, 'Hey, if you want to count your slaves to have representation, more representation in Congress, we're not going to let you do that,' because they knew that that would codify things like slavery into our nation and the North stood up to the South," Beckwith said. 

PASTOR LEADING TARGET DEI BOYCOTT CALLS MAGA, TRUMP 'ROACHES' IN EASTER SERMON

Made during the 1787 Constitutional Convention, the Three-Fifths Compromise set forth that slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person when counting a state's population for taxation and congressional representation. While it reduced the influence that slave-holding states initially wanted, it ultimately allowed them more seats in the House of Representatives and more sway in presidential contests in terms of the Electoral College than if free people were only counted.

The Three-Fifths Compromise ended after the Civil War with the adoption of the 13th and 14th Amendments, abolishing slavery and establishing equal protection under the Constitution. 

When the Constitution was being written, Beckwith explained, southern states considered slaves as property but still wanted to count slaves as part of their population in the census to get more members of Congress from the South. The North said if the South wanted it to count its "property," or its slaves, as whole people in the census, the North would in turn count its tables, chairs and all their belongings in their homes as part of their population as well, according to the lieutenant governor. 

"They came up with a Three-Fifths Compromise. They said you will only get three-fifths of a vote when it comes to your slave. And what that did, it actually limited the number of pro-slave representatives in Congress by 40%. This was a great move by the North to make sure that slavery would be eradicated in our nation," Beckwith said. "They knew what they were doing. But now here you have Senate Democrats in today's American Republic who do not understand that."

"They think the Three-Fifths Compromise was something that was a scourge on Black people. That's not what it was. And how did we get to this place? We got to this because of DEI in education. We got here because you have professors at woke schools that will not teach the history of what actually happened back in the foundations of our nation," Beckwith continued. "Many, many men and leaders in our nation's history knew how wicked slavery was. They knew that God had created Black people, White people, red people, all people in his image, and they were fighting for equality for all, but they're not taught that today, and that's why you had the Senate Democrats who were getting up talking about the Three-Fifths Compromise like it was some sort of terrible thing in our past it was not it actually was the exact opposite that helped to root out slavery and lead us into a more perfect union that we now see." 

Beckwith said the Three-Fifths Compromise was the beginning of the U.S. later evolving to where all people can have equal representation under the law. 

The anti-DEI state bill passed the state House by a 64-26 vote and the state Senate by a 34-16 vote. It awaits Braun's signature. 

The Trump administration is cracking down on colleges that don’t report big foreign donations, with UC Berkeley the latest target following a Department of Education review of the California university’s foreign funding disclosures found that it "may be incomplete or inaccurate."

Education Secretary Linda McMahon ordered the agency’s legal team on Friday to take back control of enforcing a law that requires schools to disclose foreign gifts or contracts worth $250,000 or more.

"The Biden-Harris Administration turned a blind eye to colleges and universities’ legal obligations by deprioritizing oversight and allowing foreign gifts to pour onto American campuses. Despite widespread compliance failures, no new Section 117 investigations were initiated for four years, and ongoing investigations were closed prematurely," McMahon said in a statement. "I have great confidence in my Office of General Counsel to investigate these matters fully, and they will begin by thoroughly examining UC Berkeley’s apparent failure to fully and accurately disclose significant funding received from foreign sources." 

YALE DROPS ALLEGED HAMAS-TIED STUDENT GROUP'S STATUS AFTER 'DISTURBING ANTISEMITIC CONDUCT'

The investigation comes amid Trump's growing scrutiny over foreign influence in U.S. higher education. 

This week, Trump signed an executive order tightening rules on how colleges report foreign funding, directing the Education Department to undo past policies that let universities "obscure details regarding their foreign funding" and to make schools fully disclose where that money comes from and what it’s for. 

The Department of Education said this issue gained attention after reports surfaced in 2023 that Berkeley failed to report hundreds of millions of dollars it received from China.

EVEN BEFORE TRUMP'S ENGAGEMENT, HARVARD UNDERSTOOD IT HAD A REAL PROBLEM ON THE ANTISEMITISM SIDE, EXPERT SAYS 

In response to a federal inquiry at the time, Berkeley admitted it didn’t report $220 million received and showed it had been building a long-term financial relationship with foreign government-controlled entities, while also "misunderstanding its legal duty to disclose that funding," the department disclosed in a news release.

An Education Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital they initiated a records request into Harvard for foreign funding last week. 

A White House fact sheet this week cited a Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report showing nearly $60 billion in foreign gifts and contracts have flowed into universities over several decades, often with little oversight. Federal officials say only a fraction of the country’s roughly 6,000 institutions report such funding.

"President Trump is ending secrecy surrounding foreign funding in higher education to protect students, research, and the marketplace of ideas," the fact sheet reads.