Justice Department Sues Harvard Over Admissions Data
DOJ seeks a court order to compel Harvard to produce individualized admissions records sought in a compliance review examining post-2023 race-conscious admissions practices.
Overview
The Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit seeking a court order to compel Harvard to produce individualized admissions records the university has not provided, according to the complaint.
The department opened compliance reviews of Harvard's undergraduate, law and medical schools in April 2025 and requested five years of applicant-level data including test scores, essays, extracurriculars, admissions outcomes, and race and ethnicity.
Harmeet Dhillon said providing requested data is a basic expectation, and Harvard said it has been responding in good faith and will not surrender its independence, the university said.
The complaint says Harvard "slow-walked" production and produced over 2,000 pages largely consisting of publicly available materials, and DOJ says it is not seeking monetary damages or immediate revocation of federal funds.
The lawsuit asks a court to order Harvard to release the requested documents and comply with future requests, and the Education Department plans to collect more detailed admissions data from colleges, the filings say.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this coverage neutrally. They juxtapose DOJ allegations and legal language with Harvard’s rebuttals and procedural defenses, cite the 2023 Supreme Court ruling and prior funding disputes, and attribute claims to named officials. The reporting favors factual detail over emotive framing, giving multiple perspectives and contextual background.
Sources (5)
FAQ
The DOJ is requesting five years of applicant-level admissions data, including test scores (SAT/ACT), GPAs, essays, extracurricular activities, internal ratings, admissions outcomes, and demographic information such as race and ethnicity, for Harvard College, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Medical School.
The review was launched in April 2025 following the 2023 Supreme Court decision banning race-conscious admissions, to verify if Harvard complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by not using race in admissions decisions.
Harvard provided over 2,000 pages of documents in May 2025, mostly aggregated data and publicly available materials, but failed to supply the requested individualized applicant-level data despite deadline extensions.
The DOJ seeks a court order for Harvard to produce the requested documents, comply with future requests, and declare a Title VI violation, but is not accusing discrimination, seeking damages, or revoking federal funding.
Harvard states it has engaged in good faith, provided documents, is in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling, and views the lawsuit as retaliation for resisting the administration's ideological demands.
History
This story does not have any previous versions.