Federal Judge Dismisses Trump Administration's Lawsuit Against Harvard

Most-clicked story: Antitrust lawsuit against 32 colleges proceeds

A federal judge ruled earlier this month that 32 highly selective colleges must face an antitrust lawsuit filed by current and former students. The plaintiffs allege that these institutions use early decision admissions to reduce competition, charge higher tuition, and lower financial aid packages. The students are seeking class-action status for the case.

Number of the week: 55%

According to new research from the Strada Education Foundation, 55% of workers with a four-year degree or higher live in the same state where they grew up and earned their college diploma. The report argues that states "face long odds" in attracting workers from other states and should instead focus on cultivating "homegrown talent."

Discrimination lawsuits at Harvard, Haverford, and Columbia

• A federal judge on Thursday dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit against Harvard University, which had accused the Ivy League institution of failing to address campus antisemitism and sought to claw back federal grant funding. The judge ruled that Trump officials failed to prove Harvard is out of compliance with Title VI, the federal law that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin at federally funded institutions.

• Haverford College agreed to a settlement with a group of Jewish students and faculty members who alleged the private Pennsylvania institution did not do enough to protect them from antisemitism on campus. Under the settlement, Haverford leaders agreed to bar discrimination specifically against Zionist students and employees, as well as those who are Jewish or Israeli.

• Columbia University faces a new lawsuit accusing the Ivy League institution of "deliberate indifference" toward and active participation in harassment and discrimination against Palestinian students and employees. The lawsuit follows the university's earlier settlement of a separate discrimination case that alleged it failed to address antisemitism.

The latest federal updates

• Thirty senators voiced concerns to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the lack of visa application appointments for international students seeking to study in the U.S. this fall. "We are hearing from constituents and stakeholders that no timely visa appointments are available for students at some embassies and consulates," they wrote, urging the agency to process visas in a timely manner.
• The U.S. Department of Justice concluded last week that three National Science Foundation programs aimed at increasing participation of underrepresented students and scholars in STEM are unconstitutional. Congress recently allocated $104 million to these programs, the agency said.
• In a public letter to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, attorneys for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression wrote that they largely welcomed her recent call for colleges to commit to free speech policy reforms, such as boosting intellectual diversity. However, they warned that such calls could harm academic freedom if they become a "pretext for government supervision of curriculum, faculty hiring, classroom teaching, or research conclusions."

Quote of the week

"You're getting rid of a lot of potential doctors in a lot of communities if you start sifting them out by SAT scores."

— Harry Feder, Executive Director, FairTest

In our latest look at the test-optional movement, Feder argued that standardized testing can harm diversity and that GPAs are more predictive of college success. However, other higher education experts contend that the tests provide valuable information to colleges about applicants and can even help students from disadvantaged backgrounds in the admissions process.