In a landmark ruling, a Massachusetts federal judge has sided with Harvard University in a high-profile lawsuit concerning the Trump administration’s decision to freeze over $2 billion in federal grant funding. The court found that the administration’s actions were unlawful and violated the First Amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Administrative Procedure Act.
In an 84-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs emphasized that the administration failed to demonstrate how halting the funding addressed its stated goal of combating antisemitism on campus. Judge Burroughs stated, “The case raises critical legal questions, but at its core, it concerns the future of grants that sponsor research vital to the health and welfare of our country and the world.”
The ruling rejected the administration’s argument that the university’s claims were purely a contract dispute, highlighting that the matter fundamentally concerns constitutional rights and academic freedom. Judge Burroughs noted that the alleged focus on antisemitism was “at best arbitrary and, at worst, pretextual,” and that the administration’s funding freeze jeopardized decades of important research.
Harvard President Alan Garber praised the decision, stating, “This ruling affirms Harvard’s First Amendment and procedural rights, protects our academic freedom, and supports the continuation of critical scientific research that benefits society at large.”
The case, President and Fellows of Harvard College v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services et al., case number 1:25-cv-11048, is being closely watched as a defining moment in the balance between federal authority and university autonomy. Harvard is represented by a team of top-tier legal counsel from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, King & Spalding LLP, Lehotsky Keller Cohn LLP, and Ropes & Gray LLP.
This decision reinforces the role of the judiciary in upholding constitutional protections and ensuring that government actions impacting research and education are lawful, transparent, and accountable.
