Judge dismisses Justice Department suit over Harvard admissions records
A federal court ruled the agency skipped required procedural steps before suing the university for data.
By Noor Phillips ·
U.S. District Judge Myong Joun dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department against Harvard University on Monday. The case centered on the university's alleged failure to provide admissions records that federal officials demanded to review how the school handles race in its selection process.
The Justice Department had accused Harvard of thwarting its investigation into potential discrimination. The agency argued that the Ivy League institution refused to comply with a federal review and requested a court order to force the release of the files.
Judge Joun rejected that request, determining that the agency did not take necessary procedural steps before filing the suit. He wrote that the agency must first advise the recipient of its failure to comply and determine that voluntary compliance is impossible before taking enforcement action under the statutory framework.
The judge clarified that the ruling addresses a limited procedural question rather than the merits of the discrimination claim. He stated that the decision does not determine whether Harvard discriminated, whether the agencies may lawfully seek applicant-level data, or whether the university will ultimately be required to provide such data.
The dispute stems from a compliance review launched by the Justice Department in 2025. Officials demanded five years of admissions data for applicants to Harvard's undergraduate, medical, and law schools. The request included grades, test scores, essays, extracurricular activities, admissions outcomes, and race and ethnicity information.
Justice Department officials said the data is necessary to determine if Harvard continues considering race in admissions decisions. The Supreme Court barred affirmative action in admissions in 2023 after lawsuits challenged the practice at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.
This dismissal marks the latest setback for the administration in its ongoing legal conflict with Harvard. The administration has faced defeats in federal courts regarding funding cuts and a separate lawsuit accusing the university of antisemitism. Trump officials say they are acting against allegations of anti-Jewish bias on campus, while Harvard officials describe the actions as unconstitutional retaliation for refusing to adopt the administration's ideological views.
