Judge Dismisses Harvard Admissions Data Suit

A federal judge in Boston dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department against Harvard University on Monday. The suit sought to compel the university to release admissions records that federal officials demanded during an investigation into affirmative action practices.

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun wrote that the agency did not complete necessary procedural steps before filing the case. He noted that the government must first advise recipients of their failure to comply and determine that voluntary compliance is impossible before taking enforcement action. The Justice Department had accused Harvard of thwarting its efforts to investigate potential discrimination by refusing to turn over the requested files.

Judge Joun clarified that his decision addresses a limited procedural question rather than the merits of the dispute. He stated that the ruling does not determine whether Harvard discriminated or whether the agencies can lawfully seek applicant-level data. The judge added that Harvard may still be required to provide such information in the future.

The dismissal adds to a list of recent legal setbacks for the Trump administration in its conflict with Harvard. The administration has previously lost federal court battles over billions of dollars in funding cuts and a separate lawsuit alleging antisemitism on campus. White House officials argue their actions target anti-Jewish bias, while Harvard officials describe the measures as unconstitutional retaliation for the university’s refusal to adopt specific ideological views.

The legal fight centers on a compliance review launched by the Justice Department in 2025. Federal officials requested five years of admissions data for applicants to Harvard’s undergraduate, medical, and law schools. The demand included grades, test scores, essays, extracurricular activities, and admissions outcomes, along with applicants’ race and ethnicity. Officials said the data is needed to verify whether Harvard continues to consider race in decisions, a practice the Supreme Court barred in 2023.

The case is part of a wider administration effort to challenge colleges accused of using race in admissions. In October, the Justice Department concluded that the UCLA Law School illegally considered race in admissions, following a similar finding against the UCLA Medical School. The administration has also accused UC Berkeley Law and the UC San Diego Medical School of illegally discriminating against white and Asian applicants.

Neither Harvard nor the Justice Department responded to a request for comment regarding the ruling.