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A federal judge dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit against Harvard University on Monday, which sought access to detailed admissions records as part of an investigation into alleged racial discrimination. The lawsuit, filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in February, aimed to compel Harvard to provide applicant records, including grades, essays, and race data, to determine if the school was discriminating against applicants.
Judge Myong J. Joun of the District of Massachusetts ruled that the government failed to demonstrate it followed the necessary administrative procedures before seeking judicial enforcement. According to Anadolu Agency, the DOJ did not adequately notify Harvard of specific compliance failures or the enforcement action it intended to pursue before filing the lawsuit.
The ruling emphasized that federal agencies must adhere to established statutory and regulatory procedures before asking courts to enforce administrative information demands. The case was dismissed without prejudice, allowing the Trump administration to potentially refile the lawsuit after addressing the procedural deficiencies identified by the court.
The dismissal does not resolve whether Harvard must ultimately provide the requested admissions records or if the government's demands are legally justified. The underlying federal investigation into Harvard's admissions practices remains unresolved.
The lawsuit followed a 2023 Supreme Court decision that prohibits race-based admissions programs. Harvard was part of the case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which led to the ruling. The university argued that the government's information demands were overly broad and could reveal sensitive information about applicants. Harvard claimed it had already provided many documents related to its admissions procedures.
A spokesperson for the DOJ indicated that the department plans to refile the lawsuit, as reported by Gephardt Daily.