US judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit alleging Harvard failed to protect Jewish students

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration against Harvard University, which alleged the institution failed to protect its Jewish and Israeli students from harassment. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston ruled that the lawsuit, filed in March, did not plausibly demonstrate an ongoing violation of federal civil rights law on Harvard's campus.

The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, accused Harvard of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by exhibiting "deliberate indifference" to harassment following the Israel-Hamas war. The government alleged that Harvard intentionally refused to enforce its campus rules when the victims were Jewish or Israeli, sending a message of intentional exclusion and denial of equal educational opportunities.

The administration sought to recover billions of dollars in federal grants awarded to Harvard during the period of alleged noncompliance and requested the appointment of an independent monitor. U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi had stated that many educational institutions have allowed antisemitism to flourish, with Harvard being a target in this broader campaign against universities. The DOJ had pursued similar actions against other institutions, including Columbia University and the University of California.