A federal judge in Boston has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration that sought to force Harvard University to turn over years of applicant-level records. The U.S. Department of Justice brought the case to investigate whether the Ivy League institution continues to consider race in its student admissions process.
U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun issued a 10-page opinion on Monday rejecting the government’s lawsuit. The court found that the Justice Department failed to meet legal requirements and procedural steps necessary before filing a court order to demand the documents, specifically failing to demonstrate that it had exhausted efforts to secure the university’s voluntary compliance.
Details of the Harvard Admissions Lawsuit
The Justice Department initially filed the lawsuit against Harvard in February. Federal attorneys argued that the university had thwarted and slow-walked a federal civil rights review by missing deadlines for multiple records requests. The administration claimed it needed years of applicant-level admissions data to determine if Harvard is complying with the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2023 ruling that banned race-conscious admissions programs.
Harvard defended its position by stating that it had followed civil rights laws and provided relevant data. Furthermore, the university argued that the Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Education did not comply with federal regulations when pushing the school to supply sensitive records containing information on thousands of high school students who applied for admission.
Scope and Future Outlook
Judge Joun’s ruling was strictly limited to whether the government satisfied procedural requirements for a court order. The court did not rule on the merits of the investigation itself, meaning it did not determine whether Harvard has discriminated, whether federal agencies have the legal right to seek applicant-level data, or whether Harvard will ultimately be forced to provide the records.
Because the federal judge dismissed the case without prejudice, the Justice Department retains the option to refile the lawsuit if it corrects its procedural missteps. Spokespeople for the Justice Department and Harvard did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the decision.
