Judge nixes Trump lawsuit alleging Harvard did not protect Jewish students

What the report says

A federal judge in the United States has dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit that accused Harvard University of failing to protect Jewish students during campus protests over the Gaza war. The case was part of a broader campaign by the administration to pressure universities over their response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations and allegations of anti-Semitism.

According to the ruling reported by Al Jazeera and Reuters, the Justice Department’s March filing said Harvard’s leaders and faculty ignored discrimination against Jews and Israelis and failed to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination in federally funded programs. Judge Richard Stearns said the administration did not present enough evidence to show a continuing civil rights violation, describing the incidents cited as too limited and scattered to support the claim.

The decision is the latest setback for the administration’s effort to link campus protest policy with federal funding. Trump had previously sought to freeze $2.2bn in Harvard funding, and another federal judge later ruled that move unlawful, according to the report. Harvard has taken a more confrontational stance than some other elite universities, several of which reached settlements with the administration to protect financing.

The case also reflects a wider debate over academic freedom, free speech and the legal use of civil rights enforcement on U.S. campuses. Critics have argued that the government has conflated criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, while supporters say universities must do more to protect students from harassment.