Court dismisses Trump lawsuit against Harvard over antisemitism claims

A federal court in Boston has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against Harvard University, which accused the institution of condoning antisemitic conduct during pro-Palestinian protests following the Oct. 7, 2023, events.

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the government had not managed to demonstrate that Harvard had violated a provision of the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on race, nationality and other protected characteristics.

U.S. Judge Richard Stearns ruled that the government did not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that Harvard violated a provision of civil rights law prohibiting discrimination based on race, nationality, or other protected characteristics. The lawsuit, initiated in March by the Department of Justice, alleged that Harvard's faculty and administration "turned a blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis." It cited instances where protesters occupied libraries and maintained a camp on campus for 20 days, allegedly in violation of university regulations.

However, Stearns found the incidents cited by the Trump administration to be "too isolated and episodic" to prove a breach of the Civil Rights Act. This decision represents a significant setback for Trump's broader campaign against prominent American universities, which he has accused of permitting pro-Palestinian movements to flourish on their campuses amid Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip.

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Harvard allowed anti-Israel protesters to occupy its libraries. Harvard allowed an anti-Israel camp to remain for 20 days, in violation of university regulations.

This ruling follows a previous instance where the Trump administration attempted to freeze billions of dollars in funding to Harvard over alleged antisemitism and progressive bias. In September, a federal judge deemed that measure largely illegal and ordered the funds to be reinstated.

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too isolated and episodic