Federal Court Grants Summary Judgment in Favor of University Client

On February 7, 2024, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered an Order granting summary judgment to Firm client Harvard University in a case brought against it by a former student.  In Sonoiki v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, a student accused of sexual assault by three women brought suit against Harvard following his dismissal from the school.  The plaintiff sought compensation and other remedies based on what he alleged were the school’s breaches of its contract with him arising out of purported errors in the school’s disciplinary process.  Following discovery and summary judgment briefing and oral argument, the Court determined that plaintiff’s lawsuit must be dismissed because, among other reasons, the parties’ contract permitted Harvard to take the actions that it took as to the plaintiff.  The full text of the Court’s opinion can be found at https://www.law360.com/articles/1794868/attachments/0, and you can read more about the case at https://www.law360.com/articles/1794868.  Counsel for Harvard in this matter included Victoria L. Steinberg, a partner at the Firm, and Rebecca M. O’Brien, an associate at the Firm.