The United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Harvard University on Friday. The DOJ has accused its leadership of failing to address antisemitism on campus and opened the door to a potential freeze on federal grants and recovery of funds already disbursed.
Filed in federal court in Massachusetts, the case marks a sharp escalation in the long-running standoff between the administration of Donald Trump and one of the world’s most prestigious universities. The administration has spent months investigating Harvard, positioning it as a central target in a broader effort to reshape oversight and accountability in American higher education.
The legal move comes more than six months after a federal judge blocked an earlier attempt by the administration to strip Harvard of research funding. This is the second such action in recent weeks.
In its complaint, the Justice Department alleged that Harvard “turned a blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis”, arguing that such failures violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in federally funded programs. The suit seeks not only compliance but also the recovery of “billions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies”.
In the complaint filed in federal court in Boston, the Justice Department alleged that Harvard has shown deliberate indifference to hostility on campus and has knowingly failed to enforce its own rules when the victims are Jewish or Israeli.
“This sent the clear message to Harvard’s Jewish and Israeli community that the indifference was not an accident; they were being intentionally excluded and effectively denied equal access to educational opportunities,” the complaint said.
Last month, the Justice Department filed a similar lawsuit against University of California Los Angeles, accusing it of tolerating “grossly antisemitic acts” and ignoring concerns raised by Jewish and Israeli students and staff.