Overview
- A federal judge in Boston dismissed the Justice Department’s complaint on Thursday, August 13, 2026, finding the government failed to plausibly allege continuing civil‑rights violations at Harvard.
- Judge Richard G. Stearns wrote the suit relied mostly on incidents from the 2023–24 academic year and noted the complaint lacked factual allegations of noncompliance after the DOJ’s statutory notice on June 30, 2025.
- The government had sought repayment of billions in federal research grants and a court‑approved monitor, while Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the Justice Department disagrees with the ruling and is assessing next steps.
- Harvard has denied the allegations, pointed to steps it has taken to address antisemitism, and previously won a separate court order restoring more than $2 billion in frozen federal grants.
- The decision narrows one legal tool in the administration’s broader campaign to pressure universities over campus antisemitism and policy demands, but related lawsuits and possible appeals mean the larger dispute over funding and oversight remains unresolved.