WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is suing Harvard University, claiming it has failed to provide critical admissions records requested by the Justice Department aimed at assessing the school's affirmative action policies.
Filed in federal court in Massachusetts, the lawsuit contends that Harvard has obstructed efforts to investigate allegations of racial discrimination within its admissions process. The Justice Department is seeking a court order compelling Harvard to submit the requested records.
Harmeet Dhillon, leading the department’s Civil Rights Division, indicated, “If Harvard has stopped discriminating, it should happily share the data necessary to prove it.” Response from Harvard officials at this time remains uncommunicated.
This legal action represents the latest episode in the ongoing confrontation between Harvard and President Donald Trump’s administration, which has threatened the university with significant funding cuts as retribution for its resistance to the administration's policies.
The Trump administration has accused Harvard of harboring anti-Jewish bias and asserted that its actions stem from larger ideological disputes. In counter to these claims, Harvard has maintained that it is facing unconstitutional retaliation for rejecting administrative overtures.
Since initiating a compliance review last April, the Justice Department has demanded an extensive array of admissions data from Harvard dating back five years. This includes applicants’ grades, test scores, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and corresponding admissions outcomes.
This scrutiny of Harvard comes shortly after the Supreme Court's decision in 2023 that barred affirmative action practices in college admissions, following a series of challenges to such policies from institutions like Harvard and the University of North Carolina.
As the administration intensifies its pursuit of compliance and oversight, it has extended its demands to universities nationwide, requiring them to report similar data on admissions practices to ensure adherence to the Supreme Court's ruling.
This lawsuit adds a fresh chapter to the ongoing debate over race in higher education, signaling potential profound implications for institutions aiming to foster diversity while navigating federal regulations.
