In February 2026, students enrolled in SPANSH 11 at Harvard University were assigned to evaluate Joe Hawkins Bogotá, a Colombian clothing brand, as a case study in sustainable fashion.
Among the products under review were shirts bearing the slogan “From the River to the Sea” — a phrase widely understood as a call for the elimination of the State of Israel. The assignment was presented without comment or context. Several Jewish students complained.
Harvard determined that no further action was warranted.
The names of all offices and titles have been changed to reflect their actual function. · Exhibit A: Course Materials →
Dear Complainants,
Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. Twice.
We have reviewed them. Both times. No further action is warranted.
Your complaint was received without Form ACAD-12 (Notification of Intent to Experience Harm), which is required no fewer than fourteen days prior to the harm in question. This office notes that harm can be scheduled in advance. Your complaint was processed as a courtesy.
The complaint was referred to the Committee to Decide Whether This Rises to the Level of a Thing.
Three additional complaints were subsequently received. A plus-sized student reported that no products were available above Large. A student admitted under Harvard’s Rural and Geographic Equity Initiative complained the shirts were not in English. A member of Students for Justice in Palestine reported that none of the shirts said ¡Kaboom! (“Kaboom!” in English). Complaints 2, 3, and 4 have been resolved. Harvard apologizes for the sizing inconvenience.
President Garber responded within six hours. The Committee commends this response time as exemplary. Two deans were made aware. They met with you. Notes were taken. Awareness was achieved. President Garber remains aware. The deans remain aware. Awareness has been achieved. The Committee considers this a complete institutional response.
To assess whether the shirts assigned in class were appropriate for pedagogical use, the Committee reviewed the Joe Hawkins Bogotá catalogue in full. Several items merit mention.
The Committee was unanimous: this does not rise to the level of a thing.
The course was designed by the Senior Preceptor in Spanish, whose scholarly work centers on “decolonial theoretical and pedagogical frameworks” and empowering students to become “agents of change.”
Her scholarly contributions to the teaching of Spanish via Colombian t-shirt company speak for themselves.
The Professor’s Academic Freedom. Academic freedom is the principle that protects a professor’s right to teach whatever she believes, provided she believes it correctly.
The Complexity of the Issue. It would be inappropriate for the university to suggest that advocating for the elimination of the State of Israel falls outside the bounds of an entry-level Spanish class without first convening a committee to determine whether it does.
The Risk of Appearing to Take a Side. Harvard is neutral on the question of whether Jewish students should feel welcome on campus. Expressing a view would not be neutral. The university’s position is that all perspectives deserve respect, including the perspective that your perspective does not.
The Precedent Problem. Were President Garber to meet with you, he would be obliged to meet with others who have the same problem. The Office estimates this number to be non-trivial. This makes it logistically impossible.
This does not rise to the level of a thing. This determination has been filed with the Bureau of Permanent Non-Resolution.
Harvard remains committed to being a place where all students feel welcome, valued, and reluctant to complain a third time.
We look forward to seeing you at your residential house’s upcoming Taco Tuesday celebration. Please note that kosher options are not provided, but we are told the guacamole is excellent.
With warm regards,