Judge Dismisses Trump Lawsuit Alleging Harvard Failed to Protect Jewish Students

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration that accused Harvard University of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston ruled on Thursday that the administration's claims did not sufficiently demonstrate an ongoing violation of federal civil rights law at the university.

The lawsuit, filed in March, primarily focused on incidents that occurred during protests related to the Israel-Gaza war in the 2023-24 academic year. Judge Stearns noted that while the government alleged a handful of later incidents in March 2025, these were too isolated and episodic to establish a pattern of ongoing civil rights violations.

Furthermore, the judge stated that the lawsuit failed to adequately detail Harvard's alleged failures after the government formally notified the university in June 2025 that it was potentially non-compliant with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal funding.

Neither the White House nor Harvard University immediately responded to requests for comment following the judge's ruling. The dismissal represents a setback for the Trump administration's efforts to use federal civil rights law to address campus antisemitism.