Trump Administration's Lawsuit Against Harvard Over Antisemitism Dismissed

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against Harvard University, which alleged the institution failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from antisemitism. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston ruled that the government had not plausibly demonstrated a continuing violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs.

The lawsuit was a component of a wider dispute initiated by the Trump administration against prominent American universities. The administration accused these institutions of harboring progressive biases and allowing pro-Palestinian movements to flourish on their campuses, particularly following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.

In Harvard's case, the lawsuit specifically focused on events after October 7, asserting that the university's faculty and administration "turned a blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis" during campus protests. The Department of Justice cited examples such as anti-Israel demonstrators occupying Harvard libraries and a protest encampment remaining for twenty days, which they claimed violated university rules.

However, Judge Stearns found these claims insufficient to support the accusation. He noted that the allegations primarily concerned the 2023-24 academic year, with only a few scattered incidents occurring after March 2025. The judge deemed these events "too isolated and sporadic" to prove a continuous violation of civil rights. Furthermore, Stearns pointed out that the lawsuit did not adequately describe any breaches occurring after June 2025, the date the government formally notified Harvard of its alleged non-compliance with Title VI, a point crucial for proving ongoing discrimination.