U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns in Boston dismissed on Thursday a Trump administration lawsuit accusing Harvard University of failing to protect Jewish students from harassment during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, ruling that the government had not demonstrated a persistent violation of federal civil rights law.
Federal judge dismisses Trump administration's civil rights lawsuit against Harvard over antisemitism claims
U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns in Boston dismissed on Thursday a Trump administration lawsuit accusing Harvard University of failing to protect Jewish students from harassment during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, ruling that the government had not demonstrated a persistent violation of federal civil rights law.
The lawsuit, filed by the Department of Justice in March, charged that Harvard's faculty and leadership turned a blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jewish and Israeli students, and sought to recover billions of dollars in federal research grants awarded to Harvard since October 2023. The government argued its case under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs receiving federal funding.
Judge Stearns found that the incidents cited in the lawsuit were 'too isolated and episodic' to establish a persistent civil rights violation. According to PBS NewsHour, the judge noted the lawsuit focused primarily on incidents from the 2023-24 academic year, with a few from March 2025.
Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice, said in a statement: 'We disagree with the ruling and are assessing next steps.' Harvard did not immediately provide a comment on the decision, according to PBS NewsHour.
Harvard President Alan M. Garber has said the university formed a task force to combat antisemitism, hired a new provost and new deans, and reformed its discipline policies to make them 'more consistent, fair and effective.' In a statement issued after the lawsuit was originally 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 dismissed lawsuit is one of several actions the Trump administration has taken against Harvard since the university declined a list of White House demands after Trump returned to office. The administration separately sought to freeze research funding and restrict Harvard's ability to enroll foreign students and U.S. military members. According to Al Jazeera, Trump previously moved to freeze $2.2 billion in federal funding, while PBS NewsHour reports a separate federal judge last year ordered the administration to reverse more than $2.6 billion in funding cuts, finding that the White House had placed unconstitutional conditions on federal funding.
Harvard has taken a more defiant posture toward the administration than several peer institutions. According to Al Jazeera, Columbia University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University each reached multimillion-dollar settlements with the administration to preserve funding, in response to allegations including their handling of pro-Palestine protests as well as hiring and admissions practices.
PBS NewsHour notes that despite the dispute, Harvard and the Trump administration have held some negotiations, and Trump himself has said the two sides had been close to reaching an agreement.
According to Al Jazeera, protest organizers have rejected the administration's framing, arguing it conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism and uses isolated incidents to justify broader crackdowns on pro-Palestinian speech. A November 2025 report by the American Association of University Professors, as cited by Al Jazeera, accused the administration of weaponizing civil rights law to suppress free speech on campuses, and found that the majority of federal civil rights complaints came not from students but from 'people and organisations who have no relationship with the schools under investigation.'
Where sources differ
- The two sources report different figures for the federal funding at issue in related legal disputes: Al Jazeera states Trump moved to freeze $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard, while PBS NewsHour reports a separate judge ordered the administration to reverse more than $2.6 billion in funding cuts. These figures may refer to different proceedings or time periods, but neither source clarifies this distinction.
- Harvard did not provide an immediate comment on the ruling; its full legal or institutional response is not established by the sources.
- It is not established whether the Department of Justice will appeal the decision or what specific next steps it is considering.
- The sources do not clarify whether the differing dollar figures cited for frozen or cut federal funding refer to the same proceeding or separate actions.
- The outcome of ongoing negotiations between Harvard and the Trump administration, referenced by PBS NewsHour, is not established.
- The sources do not detail the specific incidents the judge reviewed or why each was deemed insufficient to meet the legal standard.
- Al Jazeera English — original — by Al Jazeera Staff
- PBS NewsHour
Read the original at Al Jazeera English