Lawsuits
Harvard AAUP Changes Litigation Strategy in Response to Funding Cuts
After a $2.2 billion cut was announced on Monday, Harvard’s chapter of the AAUP withdrew its request for a judge to block funding freezes from the Trump administration, instead asking for a preliminary injunction.
In Court Filing, Trump Administration Blasts AAUP Lawsuit Against Immigration Orders
Lawyers for the federal government asked a judge to reject a lawsuit from the Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors, arguing that the group misapplied the First Amendment in their condemnation of Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine speech.
Trump’s Funding Cut Sets the Stage for a Historic Legal Battle With Harvard
By revoking more than $2 billion in federal grants and contracts, the Trump administration has forced Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 to make a final choice — sue or stand down.
Harvard AAUP Sues Trump Administration To Stop $9 Billion Review of Harvard’s Federal Funding
The Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors sued the Trump administration on Friday to end its ongoing review of the University’s federal funding, alleging the review was coercive and unlawfully undermined academic freedom.
Judge Denies Students’ Request To Join Kestenbaum in Antisemitism Suit
Efforts by two Harvard graduate students to join Alexander “Shabbos” Kestenbaum’s ongoing Title VI lawsuit against Harvard were cut short on Friday after U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns ruled to deny an amended complaint that added them as plaintiffs.
Kestenbaum Required to Hand Over Documents in Ongoing Lawsuit, Judge Rules
Harvard Divinity School graduate Alexander “Shabbos” Kestenbaum will have to hand over a series of documents related to his ongoing Title VI lawsuit against Harvard, after a judge approved the University’s request to compel the production of documents on Wednesday.
HSPH Professor Joins Lawsuit Challenging NIH Cuts to Research Grants
Harvard School of Public Health professor Brittany M. Charlton joined a lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health on Wednesday, alleging that the Trump administration’s cuts to equity-related research grants violated the Fifth Amendment and required Congressional approval.
Trump Takes Aim at Harvard’s Go-To Law Firm WilmerHale
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s Thursday order that sought to block WilmerHale — a firm that has represented Harvard in several high-profile lawsuits — from government business.
GOP Rep. Targets Federal Judge, Harvard Overseer Theodore Chuang ’91 for Impeachment
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) filed impeachment articles against United States District Court Judge Theodore D. Chuang ’91 — a member of Harvard’s Board of Overseers, the University second-highest governing body — on Monday.
Kestenbaum Files Opposition to Harvard’s Request for Documents
Harvard Divinity School graduate Alexander “Shabbos” Kestenbaum, the lead plaintiff in an ongoing Title VI lawsuit against Harvard, filed opposition to Harvard’s motion to compel him to produce documents relating to the case, claiming Harvard’s argument is “baseless.”
How City Councilor Paul Toner Fought To Keep Hearings in Brothel Case Private
Cambridge City Councilor Paul F. Toner — who faces charges for allegedly patronizing a Cambridge brothel network — spent nearly a year trying to prevent his name from surfacing in the case prior to his arraignment.
As Antisemitism Lawsuit Drags On, Harvard Demands Kestenbaum’s Messages With Politicians
Harvard filed a motion on Friday to compel Harvard Divinity School graduate Alexander “Shabbos” Kestenbaum, the lead plaintiff in an ongoing Title VI lawsuit, to turn over communications with politicians and messages from the “Harvard Pro-Israel WhatsApp group.”
Harvard Requested Kestenbaum Delete X Post Denouncing DEI Officer
Harvard requested Harvard Divinity School graduate Alexander “Shabbos” Kestenbaum remove a critical social media post about Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Sherri A. Charleston.
Harvard AAUP Sues Trump Administration Over Attempts To Deport Pro-Palestine Students, Faculty
The Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday morning for allegedly violating its members’ First Amendment rights by arresting and attempting to deport noncitizens for expressing pro-Palestine views.
2 Months After Settlement, Kestenbaum Seeks To File Amended Antisemitism Complaint Against Harvard
Alexander “Shabbos” Kestenbaum and two unnamed plaintiffs asked on Thursday to file an amended complaint against Harvard in federal court, seeking to continue their lawsuit alleging Harvard failed to fight antisemitism.
Court Recommends Letting Ex-Hockey Coach Katey Stone’s Discrimination Lawsuit Move Forward
A federal magistrate judge recommended on Wednesday that the district judge assigned to former Harvard hockey coach Katey Stone’s lawsuit against the University allow most of Stone’s claims to proceed, despite Harvard’s motion to dismiss them.
Former HUPD Lieutenant Sues Harvard, Police Chief For Age Discrimination
A former Harvard University Police Department officer is suing the University for “discrimination based on age,” according to a lawsuit filed in federal court last week.
Two Harvard Medical School Professors Sue Trump Admin for Removing Research That Mentioned LGBTQ Health
Two Harvard Medical School professors sued the Trump administration Wednesday afternoon for removing their research from a government-run website for including terms recently banned by the administration, alleging the removals violated their First Amendment rights and the Administrative Procedure Act.
Tamara Lanier Decries University’s Refusal To Turn Over Daguerreotypes in Book Talk
Tamara K. Lanier, who is suing Harvard for emotional distress over its possession of daguerreotypes of her enslaved ancestors, repeated her demand for Harvard to return the photographs and admonished the University for allegedly failing to reckon with its legacy of slavery at a Tuesday talk.
Federal Judge Theodore Chuang, a Harvard Overseer, Questions Trump’s DOGE at Hearing
Federal judge Theodore D. Chuang ’91 — a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers, the University’s second-highest governing body — showed sympathy on Friday for key claims in a case challenging the constitutionality of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency.
Family of MIT Cyclist Killed in Collision Sues Truck Driver, Employer Over Negligence and Wrongful Death
The family of a Cambridge cyclist who was killed in a collision with a truck last June is suing the truck driver and his employer for more than $30 million, alleging negligence and wrongful death.
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit by Harvard Alumni Who Alleged Antisemitism Devalued Their Degrees
A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by 10 Harvard alumni who alleged “rampant” antisemitism on campus after Oct. 7, 2023, had devalued their degrees, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing.
Federal Judge Hits Pause on Trump’s Push to Halt Federal Funding for DEI Programs
A federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s push to halt federal funding for programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in a ruling Friday afternoon, granting a reprieve to Harvard researchers who feared their work was on the line.
Harvard, 10x Genomics Settle Patent Dispute With Vizgen
Biotechnology company 10x Genomics and Harvard University reached a Feb. 6 settlement in a patent lawsuit that they jointly filed against Vizgen Inc. in 2022.
Law Firm Withdraws From Representing HBS Prof. Gino in Suit Against Harvard
Harvard Business School professor Francesca Gino is no longer represented by Title IX law firm Nesenoff & Miltenberg after four attorneys from the firm withdrew from her discrimination case against Harvard on Thursday.