Federal judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit against Harvard over alleged antisemitic harassment
A Boston federal judge ruled that the Trump administration failed to demonstrate a civil-rights violation by Harvard University, dismissing the case that alleged insufficient protection for Jewish students.
A U.S. District Court in Boston dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration that claimed Harvard University ignored harassment of Jewish students on campus. Judge Richard G. Stearns said the government did not provide sufficient evidence of a continuous violation of federal civil-rights law, noting that the incidents cited were "too isolated and episodic" to establish a persistent pattern.
"We disagree with the ruling and are assessing next steps," said Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice.
Harvard did not immediately comment on the decision. The university had previously said it "cares deeply about members of our Jewish and Israeli community and remains committed to ensuring they are embraced, respected, and can thrive on our campus." President Alan M. Garber noted that Harvard created a task force to address antisemitism, hired new leadership, and revised disciplinary policies to improve consistency and fairness.
The lawsuit sought to recover billions of dollars in federal research grants awarded to Harvard since October 2023, invoking Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. It is one of several legal actions the administration has taken against the university after it declined to meet a list of demands from the White House. Earlier, a federal judge ordered the administration to reverse more than $2.6 billion in funding cuts, finding that the White House had used antisemitism allegations as a pretext for an ideologically driven attack on universities.