Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit alleging antisemitism at Harvard University

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Boston on Thursday dismissed   a Trump administration lawsuit   that accused Harvard University of turning a blind eye to harassment of Jewish students.

The decision from U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns said that President Donald Trump’s administration failed to prove an ongoing violation of federal civil rights laws. The judge said the lawsuit, filed in March, mostly focuses on incidents that took place in the 2023-24 academic year, with a few from March 2025.

The cases were “too isolated and episodic” to prove a persistent civil rights violation at the Ivy League campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the judge said.

“We disagree with the ruling and are assessing next steps,” said Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice. Harvard did not immediately provide a comment on the decision.

The lawsuit accused Harvard of failing to protect Jewish students during   pro-Palestinian demonstrations   that roiled the campus after   Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks   on Israel. The Trump administration argued Harvard officials did nothing as Jewish students were “harassed, physically assaulted,…