MLFA & DOE Office of Civil Rights hold Harvard accountable for harassment of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students. Settlement Reached!

A Win for Civil Rights!

On January 17, 2025, Harvard settled the complaint brought by MLFA’s Civil Litigation attorneys on behalf of Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and allied students with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR).  The settlement specifically speaks to discrimination and harassment against Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students, as well as Jewish and Israeli students who are also protected by Title VI.

The OCR’s investigation revealed multiple failures at Harvard:

  • Harvard failed to investigate or sufficiently respond to many complaints of discrimination and harassment, particularly those “based on Palestinian, Arab, and/or Muslim shared ancestry.”
  • Harvard’s Non-Discrimination Policy failed to provide sufficient investigative, record-keeping, or remedial procedures.
  • Harvard failed to properly train its relevant staff and senior leadership about their Title VI obligations.

 

The settlement with OCR requires:

  • Harvard must now create policies and procedures addressing these concerns and must confirm its compliance via annual reporting.
  • Harvard must also provide OCR with data reflecting all complaints of harassment based on shared ancestry for the 2023-2025 academic years, and its response to those complaints.
  • Harvard must also conduct a survey of students and employees to identify whether they felt or witnessed discrimination and harassment on campus and must provide those results and suggested resolutions to OCR.

Hear from our attorneys who brought this Complaint:

Christina Jump, Civil Litigation Department Head: “We are pleased the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights recognized the shortfalls in both Harvard University’s policies and actions. We appreciate its diligent investigation and specific requirements as well as stated follow-up required by its agreement with Harvard. And we look forward to ensuring that Harvard University administration officials live up to all promises made in order to resolve the federal investigation into its failures.”

Chelsea Glover, Civil Litigation Senior Staff Attorney: “The OCR’s investigation confirmed our clients’ suspicions that Harvard failed to take their complaints of discrimination and harassment seriously.  We expect that Harvard’s settlement with OCR will result in Harvard promptly addressing and remedying its failures to its Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and allied students.  But if it does not, we are prepared to hold Harvard accountable to federal law.”

Note:

Any language contained in separate settlement agreements with private individuals in any civil lawsuits is not part of the OCR’s settlement agreement with Harvard, and does not change or negate these requirements. No federal agency charged with enforcing Title VI, including the Department of Education, signed off on any private settlement agreements. Any requirements contained in those agreements cannot overrule the requirements of this federally approved agreement or federal law, including Title VI.

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Here are public links to the letter and settlement agreement:

Letter: https://ocrcas.ed.gov/sites/default/files/ocr-letters-and-agreements/01242155-a.pdf

Voluntary Resolution Agreement: https://ocrcas.ed.gov/sites/default/files/ocr-letters-and-agreements/01242155-b.pdf