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Harvard lawsuit tossed
A federal judge in Boston dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit accusing Harvard University of turning a blind eye to harassment of Jewish students.
“A federal judge in Boston on Thursday dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit”
U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns said President Donald Trump’s administration failed to prove an ongoing violation of federal civil rights laws, and the ruling said the case filed in March mostly focused on incidents in the 2023-24 academic year with a few from March 2025.
The judge said the cases were “too isolated and episodic” to prove a persistent civil rights violation at the Ivy League campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The lawsuit accused Harvard of failing to protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian demonstrations that roiled the campus after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
The government’s case sought to recover billions of dollars in federal research grants awarded to Harvard since October 2023, arguing it had a right to recoup the money under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Competing claims and quotes
The Trump administration argued Harvard officials did nothing as Jewish students were “harassed, physically assaulted, stalked, and spat upon,” and the Department of Justice argued that response violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Stearns ruled that the administration’s complaint focused largely on a handful of incidents alleged in March 2025, which he said were “too isolated and episodic” to support an ongoing civil rights claim.
In a statement after the lawsuit was filed, Harvard said it “cares deeply about members of our Jewish and Israeli community and remains committed to ensuring they are embraced, respected, and can thrive on our campus.”
The Guardian reported that Stearns said he was not “diminishing any concern arising” from campus events in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attacks, but said the DoJ’s complaint misconstrued Title VI’s remit.
The ruling also said the Trump administration’s later amended complaint was “devoid of any factual allegations” and evidence of noncompliance after it had put Harvard on notice under Title VI in June 2025.
What the decision changes
The dismissal marks another legal setback for the Trump administration in its confrontation with Harvard, a prominent target of the campaign to reshape major U.S. universities.
“not plausibly demonstrated an ongoing violation of Title VI”
The case was filed in March and Stearns said the government had not plausibly demonstrated an ongoing violation of Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in federally funded programs.
The ruling also said the lawsuit did not adequately allege misconduct by Harvard after the government informed the university in June 2025 that it was not complying with Title VI.
In court filings, the administration said it was seeking to “recover billions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies awarded to a discriminatory institution,” while Harvard denied the allegations and previously described the lawsuit as “yet another pretextual and retaliatory action by the administration for refusing to turn over control of Harvard to the federal government.”
The decision came as the administration faced other Harvard-related court fights, including an earlier order that required it to reverse more than $2.6 billion in federal funding cuts to Harvard.
