Judge Dismisses Harvard Admissions Lawsuit

A federal judge on November 2, 2026, dismissed a lawsuit against Harvard University, ruling that the Justice Department did not meet necessary procedural requirements before demanding admissions records. U.S. District Judge Myong Joun found that the agency failed to advise the university of its non-compliance and did not determine that voluntary compliance was impossible before filing the suit.

The Justice Department had accused Harvard of thwarting an investigation into potential discrimination in its admissions process. The agency sought an order compelling the university to turn over specific records. Judge Joun wrote that before taking enforcement action, the agency must advise the recipient of its failure to comply and determine that compliance cannot be secured by voluntary means.

The dispute began in 2025 when the Justice Department launched a compliance review into Harvard’s admissions practices. The agency requested five years of data for applicants to Harvard’s undergraduate, medical, and law schools. The demand included applicants’ grades, test scores, essays, extracurricular activities, admissions outcomes, race, and ethnicity.

Justice Department officials stated they required the data to verify whether Harvard continued considering race in admissions decisions. This follows a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that barred affirmative action in admissions after lawsuits against Harvard and the University of North Carolina. The current legal battle is part of a wider administration campaign against colleges accused of considering race in their selection processes.

The dismissal is the latest setback for the Trump administration in its ongoing conflict with Harvard. The administration has previously faced federal court defeats regarding billions of dollars in funding cuts and a separate lawsuit accusing the university of antisemitism. Officials said they are taking action against Harvard over alleged anti-Jewish bias on campus, while Harvard officials described the moves as unconstitutional retaliation for refusing to adopt the administration’s ideological views.

In October 2026, the Justice Department found that the University of California, Los Angeles law school illegally considered race in admissions. This finding followed a similar determination regarding the university’s medical school. The administration has also accused UC Berkeley Law School and the medical school at the University of California, San Diego of illegally discriminating against white and Asian applicants.

Judge Joun noted that the ruling does not resolve the underlying dispute over the data. He stated that the decision addresses only whether the government adequately established the prerequisites for judicial enforcement at this stage. The ruling does not determine whether Harvard discriminated, whether the agencies may lawfully seek applicant-level data, or whether Harvard may ultimately be required to provide such data. Neither Harvard nor the Department of Justice responded to requests for comment regarding the decision.