Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Harvard…and the Trump Admin on Funding Case

There’s a Wednesday afternoon ruling out of the Massachusetts District Court in the Harvard funding case brought against the Trump administration by the university and several organizations challenging the administration’s decision to freeze and ultimately terminate nearly $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard.

The New York Times is describing it largely as a win for Harvard — and it is, in some respects, but not in all of them:

Harvard University won a crucial legal victory in its clash with the Trump administration on Wednesday, when a federal judge said that the government had broken the law by freezing billions of dollars in research funds.

The ruling may not be the final word on the matter, but the decision by Judge Allison D. Burroughs of the U.S. District Court in Boston was, at the very least, an interim rebuff of the Trump administration’s campaign to remake elite higher education by force.

The 84-page memorandum and order issued by Judge Allison Burroughs (an Obama appointee) grants summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs on several counts, but also grants it in favor of the administration on its cross-motion for summary judgment on others.

The decision finds in favor of Harvard on Counts 1, 3, and 4 of the university’s amended complaint, which include its claims that the administration’s actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). However, on Counts 2 and 6 (regarding equitable and ultra vires claims), Judge Burroughs ruled in favor of the administration. As to Count 5, she granted Harvard’s motion as to the “freeze orders” but granted the administration’s motion as to the termination letters.

As with so many of these cases, we’ll likely see one (or more) appeal(s) from Wednesday’s decision, so, as noted in the article excerpt above, this ruling likely isn’t the final word on the matter.