DOJ Files Lawsuit Accusing Harvard of Withholding Admissions Documents on Race

In a new complaint, the Justice Department says it wants the documents to determine whether the college is complying with a 2023 Supreme Court decision.

A flag hangs on campus at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on Sept. 4, 2025. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against Harvard University on Feb. 12, accusing the Ivy League school of withholding admissions data the agency says it needs to determine whether the school is engaging in discriminatory practices.

In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the DOJ accused Harvard of “not complying with a federal investigation,” adding it has a “recent history of racial discrimination,” and is “continuing to discriminate in its admissions process.”