EEOC Sues Harvard for Data on Alleged Discrimination Against White Men
The agency seeks compliance in an investigation into hiring practices, part of a broader federal effort targeting 'woke academia.'
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit against Harvard University, seeking data related to allegations that the institution's hiring practices discriminate against white men. This legal action represents the latest move in the Trump administration's ongoing efforts to scrutinize and address what it terms "woke practices" in higher education.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in a Massachusetts federal court, accuses Harvard of failing to comply with an investigation initiated last year. The EEOC's probe centers on claims of "systemic discrimination" against white, Asian, male, and heterosexual employees within the university's recruitment and promotion processes. The agency asserts that these practices may violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination.
EEOC spokesperson Amanda Smith stated that subpoena enforcement actions are a standard component of the agency's investigative process. "Title VII gives the EEOC broad authority to obtain information necessary to investigate discrimination, including through court enforcement of its subpoenas," Smith explained.
Harvard, however, has characterized the investigation as retaliatory and part of a broader agenda by the Trump administration to pressure universities. University lawyers argued in a June motion that the government has "not concealed that its all-out campaign targets Harvard for the assertion of its constitutional rights," framing the case as an attempt to force the university to yield to the administration's "ideological demands."
The EEOC's charge against Harvard, filed in April 2025 by Trump-appointed Chair Andrea Lucas, came shortly after Harvard filed its own lawsuit against the federal government. Harvard challenged the government's freeze of $2.2 billion in research funding, labeling it "unconstitutional."
A Harvard spokesperson affirmed that the university has been cooperating with the EEOC's inquiries and intends to defend itself against what it considers "illegal government overreach." The spokesperson emphasized that Harvard's hiring and promotion decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and individual accomplishments, not on race, sex, or any other protected status.
The EEOC's charge referenced data, previously available on Harvard's website, showing a decline in the proportion of white men among tenured faculty, from 64% in 2013 to 56% in 2023. Over the same period, the representation of "total women and faculty of color" on the tenure track increased from 54% to 68%. Despite this shift, white men in 2023 still outnumbered white women, men of color, and women of color when considered individually.
Harvard has faced previous criticism regarding its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. The Trump administration had previously issued executive orders targeting DEI practices, alleging they sometimes led to discrimination against certain groups, particularly white men. In December 2025, a Harvard history professor, James Hankins, retired after 40 years, citing in an essay the university's "exclusion of white males" and alleging that "perfect fit" candidates were overlooked in admissions in favor of others following the George Floyd protests.
In a separate matter, the Department of Justice sued Harvard in February 2026 seeking applicant data to determine if the university continued to consider race in admissions after the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against race-based admissions. Harvard has requested the dismissal of that lawsuit.
Earlier in August, a federal judge dismissed a Department of Justice lawsuit accusing Harvard of failing to protect Jewish students and staff from antisemitism. The Trump administration has appealed this decision.
Chair Lucas has been active in escalating the EEOC's scrutiny of DEI practices at corporations and academic institutions. The agency has also filed charges against The New York Times and Coca-Cola and investigated universities including the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and Barnard College. The EEOC reached a significant settlement with Columbia over claims of religious harassment.
Lucas has utilized "commissioner's charges" to initiate these investigations, a process that requires only a commissioner's belief that a law has been violated, bypassing the more common procedure of starting an investigation based on an employee's complaint.