A federal district court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against Harvard University on Monday, finding that procedural requirements were not satisfied prior to the filing. Judge Myong J Joun granted Harvard’s motion to dismiss based on procedural grounds rather than addressing the substantive issues in the case.
The Department of Justice filed the lawsuit in February 2026, seeking individual applicant records from Harvard and alleging the university had obstructed and delayed compliance with a federal civil rights investigation through missed deadlines and incomplete document submissions. The administration pursued the records as part of efforts to ensure Harvard discontinued the use of affirmative action in its admissions process.
The judge determined that the Department of Education did not adhere to proper procedural protocols before transferring its admissions investigation to the Department of Justice’s lawsuit. In his opinion, Judge Joun noted that “a deadline and a threat to sue, standing alone, do not necessarily demonstrate compliance with the regulatory voluntary-compliance process where the agency seeks to enforce disputed demands for extensive information.” Harvard maintained it had provided over 2,000 pages of documents while declining to release individual applicant records, which the university characterized as privileged information. Harvard’s legal representatives contended that the Trump administration prematurely ended negotiations in favor of pursuing what they described as a retaliatory effort against the institution.
This dismissal follows a similar ruling in August 2026, when the same judge dismissed the administration’s antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard. The Trump administration’s actions against Harvard have also included freezing federal funding and attempting to restrict the university’s ability to accept international students.
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