Federal Judge Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Seeking Harvard's Race-Based Admissions Data

A federal judge dismissed the DOJ lawsuit demanding Harvard's race-related admissions data.

On November 2, 2026, U.S. District Judge Myong Joun dismissed the Department of Justice's lawsuit against Harvard University, ruling the DOJ had failed to comply with procedural prerequisites established by law before filing the lawsuit. The suit had been filed on February 13, 2026, aimed at obtaining five years of applicant-level admissions data to investigate whether Harvard engaged in racial discrimination in its admissions practices.

The DOJ did not accuse Harvard outright of discrimination but sought documents about consideration of race in admissions, following the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which prohibited race-based criteria in college admissions. The DOJ's effort was framed as part of enforcing federal civil rights laws under this precedent.

Judge Joun underscored that under the statutory framework, the DOJ must first notify the recipient—in this case, Harvard—of noncompliance and attempt to achieve voluntary compliance before resorting to enforcement actions. "Before taking enforcement action under the statutory framework, the agency must advise the recipient of its failure to comply and determine that compliance cannot be secured by voluntary means," the judge stated.

Harvard responded that it had been cooperating with government inquiries in good faith and remained open to engagement through the legally required processes. The Justice Department, represented by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, affirmed its position that it will not allow universities to ignore federal civil rights laws or refuse to submit necessary data for review.

This dismissal highlights key procedural safeguards in federal investigations of civil rights compliance and may affect future DOJ strategies dealing with affirmative action enforcement at educational institutions.