Justice Department appeals dismissal of Jew-hatred lawsuit against Harvard

The U.S. Department of Justice is appealing the dismissal of its antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard University, seeking to recover nearly $1 billion in federal grants. The lawsuit, filed in March, alleges Harvard violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to address antisemitism and discrimination against Jewish and Israeli students following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns dismissed the case, stating the government hadn't sufficiently shown Harvard remained in violation after formal notification in June 2025, describing incidents as "too isolated and episodic."

"Harvard certified compliance, drew billions on those certifications and broke them," Mark Goldfeder of the National Jewish Advocacy Center told JNS. "The law treats that as a debt owed for money taken on a promise that wasn’t kept."

Goldfeder argues that recovering past funds is a distinct claim from stopping future violations, asserting that "A debt does not vanish because the debtor behaves once the letter arrives." The Justice Department is also pursuing other Harvard-related appeals concerning federal funding and international student enrollment.