US judge skeptical of Trump administration’s lawsuit against Harvard: ‘It’s just an ultimatum’

A federal judge in Boston on Thursday expressed skepticism that the administration of US President Donald Trump should be allowed to proceed with the lawsuit aimed at forcing Harvard University to hand over student admissions data, as part of an investigation into whether the university continues to consider race in its admissions process.

District Judge Myong Joun, during a hearing in Boston, asked whether the administration had followed proper legal procedures before filing the suit — Harvard considers it part of Trump’s broader campaign against the elite university.

The Justice Department sued Harvard in February, claiming the university was not cooperating with investigations into whether it was complying with the 2023 Supreme Court decision that struck down race-conscious admissions programs. Deputy Solicitor Jeffrey Morrison said the Justice and Education departments need applicant-level admissions data, going back years, to determine whether race remains a factor.

Morrison said the administration is ready to negotiate, but Judge Joun — appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden — replied: “This doesn’t look like a willingness to negotiate. It’s just an ultimatum,” noting that the government sued without first taking the legally required steps to secure the university’s voluntary cooperation.

Harvard’s lawyer, Stuart Delery, said the university has already submitted enough data to assess compliance with Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, while the administration is now seeking years of sensitive data on thousands of high school students who applied to Harvard: “This is information that students and families expect — and the law expects — Harvard to protect.” He called the lawsuit another “hammer” against Harvard, filed only after Trump announced in early February that he was ending settlement talks and seeking $1 billion in damages.

Harvard has been one of the administration’s main targets, which has used federal funding to force changes at universities Trump accuses of being dominated by “radical left” ideologies. The university’s lawyers claim the suit was filed in retaliation for refusing governance restructuring demands. Harvard has already won court rulings that struck down the administration’s efforts to cut more than $2 billion in federal grants and to block the enrollment of international students. The case is called: United States v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, No. 26-cv-10844.

Source: Reuters