Judge Throws Out Trump’s Harvard Antisemitism Case

A federal judge dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit accusing Harvard of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment, ruling Thursday that the government failed to show that the university remains in violation of federal civil rights law.

U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns granted Harvard’s motion to dismiss the case, finding that the government’s amended complaint did not sufficiently allege that Harvard is currently violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The lawsuit, filed by the Justice Department in March, accused Harvard of turning “a blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis” following the wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that erupted after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

But Stearns found that the government’s case relied overwhelmingly on incidents from the 2023-24 academic year. Only three incidents cited in the amended complaint occurred afterward, all in March 2025.

“Without diminishing any concern arising from these occurrences,” Stearns wrote, the incidents were “too isolated and episodic” to support a finding that “any institutionalized noncompliance with Title VI persists at Harvard to this day.”

The timing was particularly important because Title VI requires the government to notify a recipient of federal funds of its alleged noncompliance and determine that voluntary compliance cannot be secured before seeking judicial enforcement.

The government sent Harvard that notice on June 30, 2025, but the amended complaint did not allege violations occurring after that date. Stearns said the administration’s interpretation of the law would effectively turn Title VI into a mechanism for punishing schools rather than bringing them into compliance.

The judge also rejected the administration’s alternative argument that it could seek damages for alleged violations from the 2023-24 school year.

Stearns did not rule that the earlier allegations of antisemitic harassment were false. His dismissal turned on whether the government had sufficiently alleged an ongoing violation that could support relief under Title VI.

The Trump administration’s amended complaint pointed to incidents in which Jewish students were allegedly harassed, physically assaulted, stalked, and spat upon during campus demonstrations.

Harvard has insisted that it has taken steps to address antisemitism, including establishing a task force, changing disciplinary policies, and making administrative changes.

The university has also successfully challenged several other elements of the Trump administration’s campaign against it. Other litigation remains ongoing, including disputes over billions of dollars in federal research funding and the administration’s efforts concerning Harvard’s international students.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the Justice Department disagreed with Stearns’ ruling and was considering its next steps.

“The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is actively investigating antisemitism nationwide,” Dhillon said, noting that the department has an “extensive and active portfolio” of antisemitism enforcement cases.