Archive · 13 Aug 2026
US Court Dismisses Trump Administration Antisemitism Lawsuit Against Harvard
A big argument happened between the US government and Harvard, a famous university.
The government said Harvard did not do enough to protect Jewish students during protests.
The government sued Harvard and wanted a court to punish it.
But a judge in Boston named Richard Stearns said the government did not give enough proof.
He said the problems that happened were too few and too spread out to blame the whole university.
So the judge threw the case out, and Harvard won this round.
Earlier, the government also tried to take away more than $2 billion that Harvard uses for science research.
Harvard said that was unfair and asked another judge to stop it.
That judge, Allison D. Burroughs, agreed with Harvard and gave the money back.
So for now, Harvard is protected from the government's punishments.
A US federal court dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit accusing Harvard University of permitting antisemitism during pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston ruled the government failed to establish that Harvard violated a Civil Rights Act provision barring discrimination based on race and nationality.
The judge said incidents reported in March 2025 were 'too isolated and episodic' to show an ongoing civil rights violation by Harvard.
The Department of Justice's complaint accused Harvard's faculty and leadership of failing to address antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis.
Judge Allison D. Burroughs had earlier quashed the administration's freeze of more than $2.2 billion in federal research grants for Harvard.
- Who
- The Trump administration (Department of Justice), Harvard University, and District Judge Richard Stearns, who issued the ruling.
- What
- A federal court dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit accusing Harvard of antisemitism during pro-Palestinian campus protests.
- When
- Thursday, August 13
- Where
- US federal court in Boston, Massachusetts
- Why
- The court found the government failed to prove Harvard violated the Civil Rights Act, deeming the alleged incidents too isolated and episodic.
Trump Administration
Harvard University
Campus antisemitism
Trump Administration
Harvard let anti-Israeli demonstrators occupy its libraries and allowed an anti-Israeli encampment to persist for twenty days, while faculty and leadership failed to address antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis.
Harvard University
The alleged incidents were too isolated and episodic to establish an ongoing civil rights violation, and the court dismissed the case for insufficient evidence.
Federal funding freeze
Trump Administration
The administration moved to block more than $2.2 billion in federal research grants due to concerns over campus protests and Title VI compliance.
Harvard University
Harvard argued the freeze was an unconstitutional attempt to impose political and ideological control over academic freedom and university governance, and a judge quashed it.
- Case
- Trump administration lawsuit vs. Harvard University alleging antisemitism
- Court
- US federal court, Boston
- Ruling judge
- District Judge Richard Stearns
- Ruling
- Lawsuit dismissed
- Key incidents
- Reported March 2025; called 'too isolated and episodic' by the court
- Civil Rights Act provision
- Title VI, barring discrimination based on race, nationality and other factors
- Frozen research grants
- More than $2.2 billion; freeze quashed by Judge Allison D. Burroughs
