Archive · 28 Aug 2026
Justice Department Appeals Dismissal of Harvard Civil Rights Suit
The United States government sued Harvard University over how it handled alleged antisemitism on campus.
The government says Harvard did not do enough to protect Jewish and Israeli students.
A judge dismissed the lawsuit on August 13.
He said the government had not provided enough evidence that Harvard broke a civil rights law.
The Justice Department now wants a higher court to review that decision.
Harvard has not agreed to settle the lawsuit.
The university has also won other court cases against efforts to restrict its research funding and international student enrollment.
The government is appealing one of those other rulings too.
The Trump administration plans to challenge the dismissal of its civil rights lawsuit against Harvard University.
Justice Department lawyers notified Judge Richard Stearns that they will appeal to the First Circuit.
Stearns ruled the government had not shown Harvard violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The government alleges Harvard failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Harvard has resisted a settlement and has prevailed in separate cases involving federal research funding and international student enrollment.
- Who
- The Trump administration, the United States Department of Justice, Harvard University, and Judge Richard Stearns.
- What
- The Justice Department plans to appeal the dismissal of its civil rights lawsuit against Harvard.
- When
- Justice Department lawyers announced the appeal on Thursday, following Judge Stearns’s August 13 ruling.
- Where
- The case is in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston, with the appeal going to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
- Why
- The government alleges Harvard violated Title VI by failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Justice Department’s Position
Harvard’s Position and Court Finding
Evidence of Title VI violations
Justice Department’s Position
The government argues that Harvard violated civil rights laws by failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Harvard’s Position and Court Finding
Judge Richard Stearns ruled that the government had not sustained its claims, saying the allegations focused almost entirely on the 2023–24 school year and cited only three later incidents.
Administration’s pressure campaign
Justice Department’s Position
The Trump administration has pursued settlements and additional investigations involving Harvard as part of broader efforts to increase oversight of the university’s admissions, hiring, and governance.
Harvard’s Position and Court Finding
Harvard has declined to settle and has successfully challenged the administration’s efforts to cut off federal research funding and halt international student enrollment.
- Case
- United States v. Harvard, 26-cv-11352
- Trial court ruling
- Judge Richard Stearns dismissed the lawsuit on August 13.
- Appeal court
- United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- Law at issue
- Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
- Government allegation
- Harvard failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from alleged discrimination and antisemitism.
- Harvard’s position in negotiations
- Harvard has not reached a settlement with the administration.
- Related litigation
- Harvard won cases concerning federal research funding and international student enrollment; the administration is appealing the funding ruling.