A federal judge in Boston dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit against Harvard University on Thursday, August 14, finding that the Department of Justice had not plausibly demonstrated ongoing violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in federally funded programs. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns granted Harvard's request to dismiss the complaint, which had been filed in March and alleged that the university failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment during pro-Palestinian campus protests.
Federal judge dismisses Trump administration's civil rights lawsuit against Harvard over antisemitism allegations
A federal judge in Boston dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit against Harvard University on Thursday, August 14, finding that the Department of Justice had not plausibly demonstrated ongoing violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in federally funded programs. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns granted Harvard's request to dismiss the complaint, which had been filed in March and alleged that the university failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment during pro-Palestinian campus protests.
The DOJ complaint alleged that Harvard 'faculty and leadership turned a blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis,' and cited incidents including anti-Israeli demonstrators occupying university libraries and an encampment that persisted for twenty days in violation of university policy, according to The Straits Times.
Judge Stearns found that the administration's allegations focused largely on incidents from the 2023–2024 school year. According to the New York Post, Stearns wrote that only three incidents were alleged to have occurred after that period, all taking place in March 2025, which he described as 'too isolated and episodic to support a plausible inference that any institutionalized noncompliance with Title VI persists at Harvard to this day.'
NBC News reported that Stearns also found the lawsuit did not adequately allege failures by Harvard occurring after the government notified the university in June 2025 that it was not complying with Title VI.
The administration stated in court papers that it was suing to 'recover billions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies awarded to a discriminatory institution,' according to NBC News.
The lawsuit is one element of a broader conflict between the Trump administration and Harvard. According to NBC News, the administration separately appealed in December a judge's order that found it had unlawfully terminated more than $2 billion in grants to Harvard and could no longer cut off its research funding. A federal judge also blocked the administration's efforts to revoke Harvard's ability to enroll international students, NBC News reported. The Straits Times noted that a federal judge ruled the funding freeze largely unlawful and ordered funds restored, placing that ruling in September.
The New York Post noted that Judge Stearns was appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton.
Where sources differ
- The Straits Times places the federal judge's ruling on the earlier funding freeze in 'last September,' while NBC News refers to an administration appeal filed 'in December' of a judge's order on the same funding matter, without specifying when the original ruling occurred. The exact timing of the funding-related court ruling is not consistent across sources.
- NBC News describes the administration's appeal of the funding ruling as occurring 'in December,' implying the original order predated December, while The Straits Times says the ruling restoring funds came 'last September' — the two accounts are compatible but not identical in detail.
- None of the sources establish whether the Trump administration intends to appeal the dismissal or refile a revised complaint.
- The sources do not include any statement from Jewish student groups or organizations representing those who alleged harassment on Harvard's campus.
- The sources do not detail what specific steps, if any, Harvard took between the 2023–2024 school year and the filing of the lawsuit to address antisemitism concerns.
- The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and no administration spokesperson's post-ruling reaction is included in any source.
- The sources do not clarify the current status of the separate litigation over Harvard's international student enrollment.
- The Straits Times — original — by The Straits Times
- New York Post — by Josh Christenson
- NBC News — by Reuters
Read the original at The Straits Times