Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Lawsuit
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
Litigation
Title IX or other federal statute
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Incident Status:
In litigation Federal District Court
In litigation Federal Court of Appeals
Dismissed
Appealed
- Did not involve Speech Codes
Summary
On March 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit against Harvard University alleging violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 based on what it described as deliberate indifference to antisemitic harassment of Jewish and Israeli students. The complaint alleged that, following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza, campus protests, encampments, and other demonstrations contributed to a hostile environment in which Jewish and Israeli students experienced harassment, intimidation, physical assaults, and exclusion. The government also alleged that Harvard failed to adequately enforce its campus rules and selectively enforced restrictions against students involved in protests.
The government argued that Harvard, as a recipient of federal funds, was required under Title VI to take effective action to address the alleged hostile environment. The complaint alleged that Harvard had been notified in June 2025 of violations identified by the federal government but failed to take sufficient corrective action. DOJ sought declaratory and injunctive relief requiring Harvard to comply with Title VI, including enforcement of university rules governing protests and disciplinary action for violations, as well as monetary relief tied to federal funds allegedly received while Harvard was out of compliance.
Harvard denied the allegations and said it had taken substantive steps to address antisemitism and enforce its policies against discrimination and harassment. The university said it had expanded training and programming concerning antisemitism and had responded to concerns raised by Jewish and Israeli students.
On August 13, 2026, the court dismissed the case, concluding that the government had not plausibly alleged an ongoing Title VI violation when it filed the complaint. The court found that the allegations concerning three incidents in March 2025 were “too isolated and episodic” to establish continuing noncompliance. The court did not decide whether the earlier alleged incidents violated Title VI. The Justice Department appealed the dismissal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on August 28, 2026.
