A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against Harvard University in an attempt to obtain additional admissions records to investigate whether the institution is still practising affirmative action.
US District Judge Myong Joun ruled on Monday that the Justice Department had failed to follow the required legal procedures for securing the information before taking the matter to court.
Joun clarified that his decision was limited to the procedural issues raised in the case and did not settle the broader dispute between the government and the university.
“I decide a limited question: whether the Government has adequately established, at this stage and on the materials properly considered, that it satisfied the prerequisites to judicial enforcement invoked in this complaint,” Joun said.
He further explained that the ruling did not establish whether Harvard had discriminated against applicants or whether federal agencies could legally demand properly defined individual-level admissions records.
“The ruling does not determine whether Harvard has discriminated, whether the agencies may lawfully seek appropriately defined applicant-level data, or whether Harvard may ultimately be required to provide such data,” he added.
The Trump administration had accused Harvard of failing to provide information it considered necessary to establish whether the university was complying with the Supreme Court’s decision prohibiting the use of affirmative action in college admissions.
Following the dismissal, the Justice Department indicated that it would revise its complaint and pursue the case again.
A department spokesperson said the court had dismissed the suit without prejudice over a narrow pleading issue and had allowed the government to submit an amended complaint.
“The Court dismissed the case without prejudice on a narrow pleading question and invited the United States to amend. We will do exactly that. Nothing in the ruling changes the core problem: Harvard continues to refuse to provide the admissions information it is required to produce as a recipient of federal funds under Title VI,” the spokesperson said.
“The United States will file an amended complaint and continue to hold Harvard to its obligations,” the official added.
Harvard, however, maintained that it had already supplied a substantial amount of information before the administration initiated the legal action.
In explaining his decision, Joun said the government could address the procedural shortcomings through further administrative measures or by presenting a properly supported case.
“Because the deficiency may be cured by additional administrative steps or by an adequately supported pleading identifying compliance with the applicable prerequisites, dismissal without prejudice is appropriate,” the judge wrote.
He added that any future legal action would be assessed based on the records and procedures presented in that case.
“Whether a later action rests on steps already taken or steps taken after this dismissal is a matter for examination on that action’s record,” he said.
The dismissal represents another legal setback for the Trump administration in its efforts to take action against Harvard.
Previous attempts to cut off federal funding to the university and revoke its eligibility to enrol international students were also blocked by the courts.
