Judge Dismisses Harvard Data Suit

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuit against Harvard University on Monday. The suit sought to force the university to release admissions records. The dispute centers on whether Harvard continues to use race in its selection process.

The Justice Department argued that Harvard had thwarted its investigation into potential discrimination. The agency claimed the university refused to comply with federal demands. It asked the court to order Harvard to turn over the files immediately.

Judge Joun rejected that request, citing procedural failures. He noted that the agency did not take the necessary steps before filing the suit. He wrote that before taking enforcement action, the agency must advise the recipient of its failure to comply and determine that compliance cannot be secured by voluntary means.

The judge clarified that the ruling addresses a limited question. He stated he was deciding whether the government adequately established it satisfied the prerequisites to judicial enforcement. He wrote that the ruling does not determine whether Harvard has discriminated or whether it may ultimately be required to provide the data.

The lawsuit stems from a compliance review launched in 2025. The Justice Department asked Harvard to provide five years of admissions data for undergraduate, medical, and law applicants. The request included grades, test scores, essays, extracurricular activities, admissions outcomes, and race and ethnicity information.

Justice Department officials said they need this data to determine if Harvard considers race in decisions. The Supreme Court barred affirmative action in admissions in 2023. That decision followed lawsuits against Harvard and the University of North Carolina.

This dismissal is the latest setback for the Trump administration in its legal battles with Harvard. The administration has lost other federal court cases regarding funding cuts and an accusation of antisemitism. Trump officials frame the conflict as a response to anti-Jewish bias on campus. Harvard officials describe it as unconstitutional retaliation for refusing to adopt the administration's ideological views.