Federal judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over Harvard admissions records

Procedural grounds for dismissal

The judge ruled that the Justice Department had not taken necessary legal steps before filing the suit. District Judge Myong Joun agreed with Harvard that proper notification of specific violations was missing. The decision rests on these procedural issues rather than the merits of the underlying investigation.

Scope of the ruling

This dismissal does not resolve whether federal agencies can eventually seek data on thousands of applicants. The court did not determine if the administration could ultimately request records from high school students. Harvard contends the lawsuit was part of a broader campaign against the Ivy League school.