Federal judge dismisses Trump administration's antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard University

Court ruling

On August 13, US District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit alleging Harvard University failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment during pro-Palestinian campus protests. The lawsuit, filed by the Department of Justice in March, charged that Harvard allowed an anti-Israel encampment to persist for 20 days in violation of school policy and permitted demonstrators to occupy its libraries. The complaint cited three incidents since the 2023-2024 school year, when a pro-Palestinian encampment occupied Harvard Yard. The lawsuit described students being blocked from school buildings by protesters and forced to wear baseball caps to hide their yarmulkes.

Judge Stearns ruled the incidents were "too isolated and episodic" to demonstrate an ongoing violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination by schools receiving federal funding. He wrote that the government's complaint is "devoid of any factual allegations" that Harvard has failed to comply with the law in the last year. The Department of Justice had stated at the time of filing:

Harvard's faculty and leadership turned a blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis.

Background of the dispute

The lawsuit was one of multiple actions the Trump administration has taken against Harvard since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. The administration has accused major universities of giving what it calls a "carte blanche" to pro-Palestinian movements, equating such protests with antisemitism. Harvard denied the accusations and called the administration's actions retaliation against the institution. Protest organisers have rejected the premise of the lawsuit, saying the administration has willfully conflated criticism of Israel with antisemitism while using isolated anti-Jewish actions to justify crackdowns on pro-Palestinian speech.

Financial pressure and other actions

Beyond the lawsuit, the administration moved to freeze $2.2 billion in federal funding to Harvard, accusing the university of tolerating antisemitism and promoting liberal positions. A federal judge ruled in September 2025 that the freeze was unlawful and ordered the government to return the funds. The administration has also attempted to halt federal grants and contracts, cut off visas for international students, and threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status. Earlier in 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the Pentagon would end military training programs for officers at the university. In February, the Justice Department filed a separate lawsuit accusing Harvard of withholding admissions records needed to verify compliance with a Supreme Court decision barring race-based admissions. A hearing in that case is slated for next month.

Harvard's stance and other universities

Harvard, with an endowment valued at more than $56 billion, has taken a defiant approach compared with other institutions. Several universities, including Brown, Cornell, Columbia, and Northwestern, reached multimillion-dollar settlements with the Trump administration to preserve funding in response to allegations involving their handling of pro-Palestine protests, as well as hiring and admissions practices. Others, such as UCLA, have continued to fight the government in court. The ruling adds to the administration's setbacks in its efforts to force Harvard to pay $1 billion and make policy changes that White House officials have claimed are illegal, "woke," and antisemitic. A federal court judge had previously barred the administration from using antisemitism allegations to block grants to the school.