DOJ Takes Harvard to Court Over Admissions Data
The Justice Department has initiated a lawsuit against Harvard University, claiming that the institution has not provided documents pertinent to investigations concerning racial discrimination in its admissions process. This marks the latest legal confrontation between the Trump administration and the prestigious Ivy League university. The lawsuit filed on Friday in federal court in Boston claims that for the past 10 months, Harvard has failed to provide the essential documents and information required by the government to verify that the university is not in breach of federal civil rights laws. The investigation pertains to a compliance review initiated in April 2025, according to the US. “Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice is demanding better from our nation’s educational institutions,” stated Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Harvard has failed to disclose the data we need to ensure that its admissions are free of discrimination — we will continue fighting to put merit over DEI across America.”
The university stated that it has adhered to civil rights law following a 2023 Supreme Court ruling, which effectively prohibited universities from considering race as a factor in admissions. “Harvard has been responding to the government’s inquiries in good faith and continues to be willing to engage with the government according to the process required by law,” stated Jason Newton. The administration of President Donald Trump has taken a strong stance against elite universities, withholding federal grants due to accusations of antisemitism, as well as concerns regarding racial and ideological diversity. While institutions such as Columbia and Brown have successfully negotiated agreements with the administration, Harvard has taken a stand by initiating its own legal actions against the government.
Following a report earlier this month indicating that Trump had abandoned his request for a $200 million payment from Harvard, the president declared his new pursuit of $1 billion in “damages” from the institution. He did not clarify the authority under which he would pursue the funds. In Friday’s suit, the government stated it had requested that Harvard provide “all admissions data for the past five academic years, including applicant test scores, GPA, extracurricular activities, essays, and admission outcomes, disaggregated by race and ethnicity.” It imposed comparable requirements on Harvard’s law and medical schools. The Justice Department stated in the complaint that Harvard “has slow-walked the pace of production and refused to provide pertinent documents relating to applicant-level admissions decisions.” The government requested that the court declare Harvard in violation of the law and mandate the university to adhere to the government’s document requests. “Trump is no doubt trying to push Harvard for an out-of-court settlement,” stated Peter M. Shane. “If he can compel the most richly endowed university in the country into submission, other private institutions will find it increasingly difficult to withstand.”
The lawsuit follows closely on the heels of the Defence Department’s announcement that it is terminating academic relationships with Harvard and discontinuing professional military education fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government at the conclusion of the current academic year. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, an alumnus of the Kennedy School, stated in a post last Friday night that the institution no longer “meets the needs” of the Department or the military services. “The University will continue to defend itself against these retaliatory actions, which have been initiated simply because Harvard refused to surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights in response to unlawful government overreach,” Newton stated.
