Judge Rules Justice Department Failed to Follow Proper Steps in Harvard Data Fight

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against Harvard University on Monday. The case centered on the university's alleged refusal to provide five years of admissions records that the government requested during a compliance review. The Justice Department had asked the court to compel Harvard to hand over the data, arguing that the Ivy League school had thwarted efforts to investigate potential discrimination in its admissions process.

The judge determined that the government failed to follow the necessary legal procedures before filing the suit. Joun wrote that the agency must first advise the recipient of its failure to comply and determine that voluntary compliance is impossible before taking enforcement action. Because the Justice Department did not take these steps, the court could not grant the requested order at this stage.

The ruling addresses a specific procedural question rather than the merits of the dispute. Joun noted that the decision does not determine whether Harvard has discriminated or whether the government may lawfully seek applicant-level data. The judge clarified that the court is only evaluating if the government satisfied the prerequisites for judicial enforcement based on the materials provided.

The case is part of a larger conflict between the Trump administration and Harvard. Officials in the White House have stated that the actions against the university stem from allegations of anti-Jewish bias on campus. Harvard officials have countered that they are facing unconstitutional retaliation for refusing to adopt the administration's ideological views. The university has previously won court battles over billions of dollars in federal funding cuts and a separate lawsuit accusing the institution of antisemitism.

The Justice Department launched its compliance review in 2025, demanding access to undergraduate, medical, and law school applicant data. The request included grades, test scores, essays, extracurricular activities, and admissions outcomes, along with race and ethnicity information. Department officials stated they need this information to verify whether Harvard continues to consider race in admissions decisions, a practice the Supreme Court barred in 2023 following challenges at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.

This legal maneuver is part of a wider campaign by the administration against colleges accused of considering race in admissions. In October, the Justice Department concluded that the UCLA Law School illegally considered race in its admissions process, a finding that followed a similar determination against the university's medical school. The administration has also accused the UC Berkeley Law School and the University of California, San Diego medical school of illegally discriminating against white and Asian applicants.

Neither Harvard nor the Department of Justice responded to requests for comment regarding the dismissal. The government can still pursue the data through other procedural means, but it must first satisfy the notification requirements outlined in Joun's ruling.