US employment agency sues Harvard to compel release of faculty hiring records

Subpoena filed in Boston federal court

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit late on Tuesday in federal court in Boston to force Harvard University to turn over hiring records. The agency is investigating whether the Ivy League university engaged in systemic discrimination against white men and other groups in its employment practices. According to court filings, the dispute centers on Harvard's refusal to supply full applicant data for faculty positions dating back to 2018. The EEOC asked a federal judge to enforce its administrative subpoena, stating that the inquiry falls under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The legal filing represents the third lawsuit brought against the university by President Donald Trump's administration this year.

Allegations against faculty diversity initiatives

EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas initiated the formal investigation by filing an agency charge against the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based university. Lucas alleged that Harvard implemented policies to achieve demographic diversification of the faculty that systematically disadvantaged white, Asian, male, and heterosexual applicants and staff. According to the agency, university hiring programs contributed to faculty employment growth across every demographic group since 2013 except white men. While Harvard provided a portion of the requested documentation, the commission asserted that the school withheld several major categories of hiring records. Since taking leadership of the agency early last year, Lucas has used EEOC authority to challenge diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across both higher education and corporate sectors.

Harvard asserts federal retaliation

Harvard attorneys argued in court records that the employment inquiry does not constitute a good-faith investigation, calling it part of a broader government campaign against the university. University counsel pointed out that Lucas filed her initial charge in April 2025, exactly four days after Harvard sued the federal government over a $2.2 billion freeze in federal funding.

The Government has not concealed that its all-out campaign targets Harvard for the assertion of its constitutional rights.

In a June motion incorporated into the EEOC filing, Harvard lawyers contended that the administration is seeking to pressure the school to overhaul its academic programs and hiring procedures. Harvard did not respond to public requests for comment following the filing of the subpoena enforcement lawsuit in Boston.

Broader legal battles over university policies

The hiring probe connects to multiple parallel legal conflicts between the federal government and the oldest and wealthiest university in the United States. Federal judges have previously blocked administration efforts to terminate more than $2 billion in federal research grants and prevent Harvard from hosting international students. In August, a federal judge in Boston dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that accused Harvard of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students and faculty from antisemitism. A federal judge also expressed skepticism during a recent Friday hearing regarding another Justice Department action. Beyond Harvard, the EEOC under Lucas has pursued discrimination charges against institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Nike, The New York Times, and Coca-Cola.