Federal Judge Tosses Out Trump Administration's Antisemitism Lawsuit Against Harvard

A lawsuit against Harvard University accusing it of antisemitism amid 2024 pro-Palestinian protests was dismissed Thursday, with a judge throwing out the basis for the Trump administration's attempt to reap damages and policy changes from the university.

The judge found the alleged antisemitic incidents cited in the Trump administration's lawsuit were "too isolated and episodic" to support the idea that Harvard was not complying with Title VI, a part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that bans discrimination based on race, color or national origin.

The Justice Department sued Harvard in March, accusing it of discrimination against Jewish and Israeli students, specifically alleging the university was "deliberately indifferent" to discrimination on campus and refused to enforce rules against students who allegedly harassed Jewish and Israeli peers.

The DOJ unsuccessfully argued it could still seek damages from Harvard even if it was no longer in violation of Title VI, claiming it could do so based on a period of noncompliance that would have marked a violation of the University's government contract.

Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for Civil Rights at the DOJ, told Forbes in an email her office disagrees with the ruling and is "assessing next steps."

$1 billion. That is how much the government sought from Harvard in damages -- double the initial $500 million settlement that would have reportedly gone toward work-force training programs.

The Justice Department is also suing the University of California Los Angeles in a similar antisemitism lawsuit. A judge blocked the government from enforcing a $1.2 billion fine against the university in February.