Lawsuits
Garber Calls Harvard Legal Fees “Mind-Boggling” as Federal Fight Drags On
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 said Sunday that Harvard’s legal fees are “mind-boggling,” calling them the “price” of defending the University against a barrage of federal investigations and lawsuits.
Groups Tied to Harvard Sue DHS Over New Limits on International Student Internships
A coalition of higher education groups sued the Department of Homeland Security Monday, alleging that two August directives restricting which internships international students can take part in on student visas had caused “irreparable harm” to students and institutions.
Attorneys Split on Sentencing Recommendation As Men Charged in HMS Explosion Await Hearing
The men charged with causing an explosion in a Harvard Medical School building last year are set to be sentenced on Thursday — and their attorneys have split on what consequences the two should face.
Federal Judge Casts Doubt on Government’s National Security Case for Four-Year Student Visa Limit
A federal judge appeared skeptical Thursday of the federal government’s national security justification for a new rule capping student visas at four years, as lawyers for a coalition of universities and labor unions pressed him to block the policy less than two weeks before it takes effect.
Here’s Who Is Backing Harvard in Its Fight to Keep $2.7 Billion in Federal Funding
Universities, alumni, former government officials, hospitals, and advocacy groups are backing Harvard as it fights to preserve nearly $2.7 billion in restored federal research funding.
Federal Judge Sends Harvard Personal-Time Pay Lawsuit Back to State Court
A federal judge on July 15 remanded a wage lawsuit against Harvard to state court, rejecting the University’s bid to keep claims by two former employees over pay for unused personal time in federal court.
Cambridge, Boston Expand HUD Lawsuit as Millions in Housing Funds Remain in Limbo
Cambridge and Boston joined a coalition of cities and nonprofits Monday in asking a federal court to block a new round of Trump administration restrictions on federal housing funding, expanding their ongoing lawsuit over the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care grant program.
Harvard Moves to Dismiss Admissions Records Lawsuit
Harvard asked a federal judge Wednesday to dismiss the Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking applicant-level admissions records, arguing that both the Department of Education and Department of the Justice rushed to court without following Title VI enforcement procedures.
Harvard Asks Judge to Toss DOJ Antisemitism Suit, Calling Claims Outdated
Harvard asked a federal judge Monday to dismiss the Department of Justice’s lawsuit accusing the University of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students, arguing that the Trump administration’s claims are outdated and legally deficient.
Justice Department Adds Education Department Investigation to Admissions Lawsuit
The Department of Justice broadened its admissions-records lawsuit against Harvard on Monday, adding allegations from a parallel Education Department probe after the University refused to turn over individualized admissions data sought by federal civil rights investigators.
Stearns Keeps DOJ Antisemitism Suit Against Harvard, Rejects Bid to Tie Case to Funding Dispute
U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns rejected Harvard’s effort to position the Justice Department’s latest lawsuit as a redux of its federal funding dispute, saying the new case bore more resemblance to two prior antisemitism claims.
Former Supreme Court Justice Breyer Says Public Schools Are Essential to Democracy at HGSE Forum
Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer said public schools are essential to sustaining American democracy and defended the use of judicial discretion in shaping education law at a Tuesday event at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Garber Tells Faculty DOJ Antisemitism Suit Has ‘Meritless’ Claims, Overlooks Harvard’s Efforts
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 sharply criticized the Department of Justice’s lawsuit accusing the University of tolerating antisemitism on Tuesday, telling faculty the case ignores Harvard’s response and lacks a strong factual basis, according to two attendees.
Appeals Court Blocks Cuts to Millions in Housing Funding for Cambridge, Boston
The First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling on Wednesday to block the Trump administration from restricting funding for homelessness services — siding with Cambridge, Boston, and a coalition of cities and nonprofits that sued to stop the changes.
Trump’s Antisemitism Lawsuit Sends Harvard Back to a Familiar Judge
U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns — who has repeatedly weighed claims of antisemitism at Harvard over the last three years — is now set to consider whether the University’s response amounted to unlawful indifference, as alleged in a new Justice Department lawsuit.
Justice Department’s Case Against Harvard Rests on Shaky Ground, Experts Say
Legal experts say the Department of Justice will face a steep challenge in proving Harvard violated Title VI after the agency filed a lawsuit on Friday accusing the University of tolerating antisemitism on campus following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
City Council Allocates $400k for Settlement With Cambridge Officer Who Claims His Gun Fired Accidentally
The Cambridge City Council approved $400,000 in city funding on Monday to settle a lawsuit between the city and Thomas J. Ahern, a former Cambridge police lieutenant who sued the city in 2021 after he alleged his handgun fired accidentally.
Inclusionary Zoning Was Meant to Create Affordable Housing. Now a Developer is Taking it to Court.
For nearly three decades, Cambridge has relied on its inclusionary zoning policy to require developers to build affordable housing. Now, a lawsuit filed by a longtime local developer threatens the legal basis of that policy.
Black Actor Sues American Repertory Theater Over Alleged Hair Discrimination
Nike Imoru, a Black actor and casting director, sued the American Repertory Theater on Thursday, alleging race discrimination after she was permanently injured during rehearsals for a production last year.
Judge Rejects Former HBS Professor’s Tenure Lawsuit Against Harvard
A Massachusetts Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that Harvard did not breach its contract with former Harvard Business School associate professor Benjamin G. Edelman ’02 when it denied him tenure, ending a three-year legal fight over HBS’s internal review procedures.
Legal Experts Say DOJ Lawsuit Over Harvard Admissions Records Faces FERPA Hurdle
The Trump administration’s Friday lawsuit seeking Harvard’s admissions records may run up against the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that restricts the disclosure of student records that could identify individual applicants, according to legal experts.
Judge Rejects Nationwide Relief in AAUP, MESA Lawsuit Over Noncitizen Speech, Issues Narrower Protections
A federal judge rebuffed a Harvard faculty group’s request to extend speech protections to noncitizens nationwide after it won a lawsuit against the Trump administration — instead issuing a special remedy that would void adverse alterations in immigration status for members of the suing parties if they brought forth complaints.
Ex-HBS Professor Says Harvard Rewrote, Then Ignored, Tenure Rules in Lawsuit
Former Harvard Business School associate professor Benjamin G. Edelman ’02 argued that Harvard rewrote and then ignored its own-tenure review rules to block his promotion, according to court documents shared with The Crimson on Tuesday.
‘You Are a Liability’: Student Lawsuit Could Force Harvard To Change Mental Health Policies, Experts Say
The lawsuit — filed by five students in May — raises serious questions about Harvard’s enforcement of involuntary leave policies and could force the University to change them, legal experts said.
News Outlets Seek To Unseal Key Evidence in Harvard Faculty Lawsuit Against Trump’s Deportation Policies
Four major news organizations are seeking to unseal documents in a lawsuit brought by Harvard faculty against the Trump administration this spring, arguing that their release is essential to uncover the full picture of the government’s efforts to chill noncitizen speech.
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