A federal judge on Monday dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that sought to force Harvard University to turn over detailed records showing whether its admissions policies are race-based.
U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun in Boston rejected the Department of Justice’s case after finding the government had not completed the legally required steps to secure voluntary compliance before suing. The decision rested on those narrow procedural grounds and did not resolve whether Harvard must ultimately provide the data.
The ruling leaves open the possibility that the Justice and Education departments could still seek applicant-level information if they correct the procedural deficiencies. The case was dismissed without prejudice. …