US agency sues Harvard over hiring records in probe into alleged discrimination against white men

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued Harvard University seeking records related to an investigation into whether the Ivy League school discriminated against white men and other groups in its hiring practices.The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Boston late Tuesday, seeks to force Harvard to comply with an EEOC subpoena for documents and data related to faculty recruitment since 2018. The agency is investigating whether the university violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race and sex, Reuters reported.The case stems from a civil rights charge filed in April 2025 by EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, a Trump appointee. Lucas alleged that Harvard had engaged in systemic discrimination against white, Asian, male and heterosexual employees and job applicants as part of efforts to diversify its faculty.According to the charge, Harvard adopted programmes that contributed to an increase in faculty employment across demographic groups since 2013, except among white men.Lucas cited data previously published on Harvard's website showing that the share of white men among tenured faculty fell from 64% in 2013 to 56% in 2023.The EEOC said Harvard had provided some records but resisted handing over a broader set of documents, including information on all applicants for faculty positions since 2018. The agency has asked a judge to order the university to comply with its subpoena.Harvard has denied discriminating on the basis of race or sex and said it hires and promotes faculty based on merit, qualifications and individual accomplishments.A university spokesperson said Harvard had been responding to the EEOC's inquiries in good faith and would continue defending itself against what it called "illegal government overreach."Harvard's lawyers have also argued that the EEOC investigation is part of the Trump administration's broader campaign against the university and that the government is retaliating against Harvard for challenging its demands.The lawsuit is the latest legal clash between Harvard and the Trump administration. The university has previously secured court rulings blocking government efforts to cut more than USD 2 billion in federal research funding and prevent it from hosting international students.The EEOC under Lucas has stepped up scrutiny of diversity, equity and inclusion programmes at companies and educational institutions. The agency has also pursued discrimination-related investigations involving several major institutions.Separately, the US Department of Justice is seeking records from Harvard as part of an investigation into whether the university considers race in its student admissions process.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.