Trump Administration's Harvard Anti-Semitism Case Dismissed

U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns on Thursday dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit accusing Harvard University of failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment.

Stearns ruled that the Justice Department had not plausibly alleged an ongoing violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The law prohibits discrimination in federally funded institutions, though his ruling focused largely on the timing of the allegations. Most of the incidents cited by the government took place during the 2023-24 academic year, while the complaint provided only limited examples of alleged discrimination closer to the date the lawsuit was filed.

The lawsuit, filed in March, alleged that Jewish students had faced harassment, intimidation and exclusion following the October 7 Hamas attack and the outbreak of the war in Gaza. Justice Department lawyers argued that Harvard officials had failed to respond adequately and sought the return of federal funds awarded to the university.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said the Justice Department disagreed with the ruling and was considering its next steps.

However, the decision does not amount to a finding that allegations of antisemitism at Harvard were unfounded. 

Stearns previously allowed a separate lawsuit filed by Jewish students against the university to proceed, ruling in 2024 that they had plausibly alleged Harvard was deliberately indifferent to severe antisemitic harassment. Harvard later settled the case, agreeing to a series of measures aimed at combating antisemitism on campus, without admitting wrongdoing.