USA v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (Title VI Campus Discrimination Case)

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 related demonstrations contributed to a hostile environment in which Jewish and Israeli students experienced harassment, intimidation, and exclusion. It alleged that Harvard “failed to protect Jewish students from discrimination and harassment” and “refused to enforce its campus rules against students who harass their Jewish and Israeli peers,” arguing that the university’s response to reported incidents was insufficient under federal civil rights law.

The complaint asserted that Harvard’s conduct violated Title VI because the university, as a recipient of federal funds, was required to take prompt and effective action to address a hostile educational environment. It sought declaratory and injunctive relief, including a judicial finding of liability, requirements for stricter enforcement of time, place, and manner restrictions on protests, disciplinary enforcement for violations of university rules, and cooperation with law enforcement in cases involving unlawful occupation of campus facilities or obstruction of campus operations. The government also sought monetary relief tied to federal funding allegedly received while Harvard was not in compliance with its obligations under civil rights law.

The March 20 filing followed a separate federal lawsuit filed in February 2026 in which the Department of Justice sued Harvard over alleged withholding of admissions related records sought to evaluate compliance with civil rights requirements following the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College. That earlier case concerned access to admissions data and enforcement of civil rights obligations in admissions practices, and it proceeded separately from the March 20 antisemitism case. Together, the two lawsuits reflected expanded federal enforcement activity directed at Harvard involving both admissions oversight and campus conduct.

These actions occurred amid broader federal scrutiny and related litigation involving Harvard and other institutions over civil rights enforcement, campus speech, and federal funding conditions. In Kestenbaum v. Harvard, a student plaintiff alleged that Harvard failed to adequately respond to antisemitic harassment arising during campus protests and demonstrations following October 7, 2023. In USA v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, federal authorities pursued additional records and compliance related to admissions practices under Title VI. Harvard also litigated against federal agencies in Harvard v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services et al. and Harvard v. Department of Homeland Security, disputes involving federal oversight, funding conditions, and administrative enforcement actions. Additional related proceedings included a State Department investigation into Harvard’s J-1 exchange visitor program and scrutiny of accreditation and institutional compliance.

These cases formed part of a broader set of federal enforcement efforts and political scrutiny directed at universities nationwide concerning antisemitism, campus safety, and protest regulation following October 7, 2023 and the subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza. Congressional hearings, including those by the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce on antisemitism and campus safety, provided a legislative backdrop for these enforcement actions and related litigation. Parallel cases involving education sector organizations, including National Education Association v. U.S. Department of Education and American Federation of Teachers et al. v. U.S. Department of Education, reflected broader disputes over federal authority in education policy and civil rights enforcement.

Harvard responded to the March 20 lawsuit by denying the allegations, stating that it maintained and enforced policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment and had taken steps to address concerns raised by Jewish and Israeli students following October 7 and the ensuing conflict in Gaza. The university stated that it would contest the claims in court and maintained that it had sought to balance enforcement of civil rights rules with protection of speech and political protest on campus.