US court dismisses Trump administration's lawsuit against Harvard over antisemitism

A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration against Harvard University, which accused the institution of failing to adequately address antisemitism on campus. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns accepted Harvard's request to dismiss the case, ruling that the incidents cited by the administration were not sufficient to demonstrate an ongoing violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The lawsuit, filed in March, alleged that Harvard had effectively condoned antisemitism and discrimination against Jewish and Israeli students, violating the federal law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal funding. The administration specifically pointed to events following the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023, claiming Harvard had tacitly ignored violations of its own rules by participants in anti-Israel protests.

However, Judge Stearns noted that most of the cited cases occurred during the 2023-2024 academic year and were "isolated and sporadic." He concluded that these incidents did not support the claim of a continuous violation of Title VI. The court also found that the government failed to adequately demonstrate that Harvard continued to violate the law even after being notified in June of the previous year.

The Trump administration had also argued it had the right to reclaim billions of dollars in federal research funding awarded to Harvard. But Judge Stearns clarified that the purpose of Title VI is to encourage compliance, not to punish past violations. The Justice Department expressed its disagreement with the ruling and stated it is reviewing its next steps. This decision does not end all legal disputes between the Trump administration and Harvard, as other related cases concerning federal funding and international student enrollment are still ongoing.

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We do not agree with this decision and are reviewing our next steps.