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A federal judge has dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit against Harvard University. The administration claimed Harvard insufficiently protected students on campus from antisemitism. This lawsuit is part of a prolonged battle between the administration and the world's wealthiest college. NPR education correspondent Jonaki Mehta reports.
JONAKI MEHTA, BYLINE: On Thursday, in a win for Harvard University, a federal judge in Boston dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit from earlier this year.
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HARMEET DHILLON: In March, our division sued Harvard University for tolerating race and national origin discrimination against both Jewish and Israeli students.
MEHTA: That's Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, speaking this spring about what she claimed was a hostile environment on Harvard's campus after the war in Gaza.
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DHILLON: Harvard's actions are inexcusable, and it cannot continue to take taxpayer dollars while turning a blind eye to abuse against Jewish and Israeli students.
MEHTA: The Trump administration's lawsuit aimed to recover billions of dollars in federal research grants that had been awarded to Harvard in recent years. But Judge Richard Stearns wrote that the claims of antisemitism in the lawsuit were, quote, "too isolated and episodic" to prove that Harvard was out of compliance with civil rights laws.
The DOJ could appeal the decision, and while it hasn't said it would do so, Dhillon told NPR on Thursday that the Justice Department disagreed with the ruling and was assessing next steps. Harvard did not respond to NPR's request for comment. But after the lawsuit was filed in March, it said in a statement that Harvard, quote, "cares deeply about members of our Jewish and Israeli community and remains committed to ensuring they're embraced, respected and can thrive on our campus."
This lawsuit is among several steps the Trump administration has taken since Harvard first refused a list of demands the White House made last year. Those demands included reforming Harvard's policies around antisemitism and its handling of diversity in hiring and admissions. The Trump administration has targeted dozens of colleges around the country over similar practices, often withholding federal funding to pressure schools to comply with their demands.
Jonaki Mehta, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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