A US federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration accusing Harvard University of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment following the war in Gaza.

In a ruling on Thursday, August 13, 2026, US District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston said the administration’s lawsuit, filed in March 2026, did not plausibly demonstrate an ongoing violation of federal civil rights law on Harvard’s campus.

The complaint largely focused on a handful of incidents alleged in March 2025, which Judge Stearns described as “too isolated and episodic” to support a claim of ongoing civil rights violations.

The Department of Justice had argued that Jewish and Israeli students were “harassed, physically assaulted, stalked, and spat upon,” and that Harvard’s administration had failed to respond adequately, violating Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in federally funded programs based on race or national origin.

Judge Stearns acknowledged concerns arising from campus events immediately after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, but stated that the DOJ’s complaint misconstrued the scope of Title VI. Furthermore, the Trump administration’s amended complaint lacked factual allegations or evidence of noncompliance after Harvard was put on notice under Title VI in June 2025.

This ruling represents a setback for former President Donald Trump and his officials, who have sought to compel Harvard to change its policies not only on antisemitism but also on admissions, diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.

Sources