Why the case was thrown out

Judge Myoung J Joun granted Harvard's request to dismiss the case rather than rule on its merits, finding the justice department had not demonstrated it took the necessary steps to seek voluntary compliance before asking a court to enforce its demands.

In his opinion, Joun wrote that "A deadline and a threat to sue, standing alone, do not necessarily demonstrate compliance with the regulatory voluntary-compliance process".

He also found the Department of Education failed to follow proper procedural steps before folding its admissions investigation into the department of justice lawsuit.

What the administration sought

The justice department sued Harvard in February 2026, seeking records and claiming the university had "thwarted" and "slow-walked" a federal civil rights review.

The Trump administration pursued the records to ensure Harvard had ceased using affirmative action in admissions.

Harvard's defense

Harvard's lawyers argued the administration walked away from negotiations prematurely in favor of a retaliatory campaign against the university.

• •Harvard says it provided more than 2,000 pages of documents
• •It says it did so without divulging personal individual records, which it states are privileged information

Broader fight between Harvard and the administration

In August 2026, the same federal judge dismissed the Trump administration's antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard.

The administration's other efforts against the university have included freezing federal funds and attempting to revoke Harvard's ability to accept international students.

Last week, Harvard released data showing Black student enrollment fell for a third straight year, to 9.3% for the class of 2030, down from 18% in the class of 2027.

Monday's dismissal leaves unresolved whether Harvard may withhold individual applicant records; the justice department's next step is not named in the report.