A federal judge in Boston dismissed the Trump administration’s multibillion-dollar lawsuit against Harvard University on Thursday. The suit alleged the prestigious institution failed to protect Jewish students from discrimination, but the judge ruled the incidents presented were too “isolated and episodic” to justify the administration’s claims.
1+The Trump administration argued Harvard violated its contract with the federal government under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal funding. To support its claims, the administration pointed to a series of anti-Jewish incidents on campus—many of which occurred immediately after Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Judge Richard G. Stearns, a Clinton appointee, wrote in his ruling that most of the incidents presented by the administration occurred during the 2023-2024 academic year and did not prove the university consistently violated the law. Harvard, for its part, argued the lawsuit was a “pretext” and “retaliatory action” for its refusal to submit to the administration’s demands and for exercising its First Amendment rights.
1+According to a Justice Department spokesperson, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said the administration disagrees with the ruling and is reviewing its next steps. She emphasized that the Civil Rights Division is actively investigating antisemitism across the United States, and that the lawsuit against Harvard was part of an ongoing battle between the Trump administration and elite academic institutions.