A federal judge in Massachusetts has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration that sought to compel Harvard University to turn over detailed admissions records, ruling that federal officials failed to follow required procedures before taking the Cambridge school to court.
U.S. District Judge Myong Joun issued the dismissal Monday without prejudice, meaning the Justice Department could refile the lawsuit if it fixes the procedural problems he identified.
“The Government may be able to identify a qualifying determination or cure the procedural deficiency, but it has not supplied a sufficient basis for the judicial relief currently sought,” Joun wrote in his 10-page ruling.
The Justice Department sued Harvard in February as part of a civil rights investigation into whether the university was still considering race in admissions despite the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision limiting the practice. The department alleged Harvard had repeatedly delayed turning over requested documents and had not provided individualized applicant records despite multiple requests and extended deadlines.
At the time the suit was filed, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “Harvard has failed to disclose the data we need to ensure that its admissions are free of discrimination.”
Joun acknowledged that federal officials had repeatedly asked Harvard for records and had warned of possible enforcement action. But he found the government’s court filings did not show it had followed the procedures required before asking a court to intervene. Specifically, he noted the complaint did not allege that officials had told Harvard they intended to sue if the university didn’t comply, nor did it clearly identify the specific compliance failure driving the lawsuit.
The judge also found that the Department of Education had not adequately shown it followed its own required steps before referring a separate admissions investigation for enforcement in court.
Harvard’s lawyers had argued the lawsuit was part of a broader pattern of retaliation by the administration after the university pushed back against demands to change its governance and academic policies, according to Reuters. Joun did not rule on that retaliation claim, saying his decision was limited to the procedural issues rather than any judgment on whether Harvard had violated federal civil rights law.
“Nothing in this decision converts the Government’s request for information into an accusation of present discrimination or resolves Harvard’s underlying Title VI compliance,” Joun wrote.
Fox News Digital reported that it had reached out to the Justice Department, the Department of Education and Harvard University for comment.
