Case against Harvard over the alleged misconduct of John Comaroff ends in an agreed Dismissal
On August 14, 2024, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued the following statement announcing the end of the notorious, hugely publicized lawsuit filed by three students against Harvard, allegedly for its “decade-long failure to protect students from sexual abuse and career-ending retaliation” on the part of Professor John Comaroff: “Now come the parties in the above-entitled action, by their attorneys, and hereby stipulate and agree that the action be Dismissed, with prejudice” – that is, cannot be reopened – “and without costs.”
The case was originally filed in February, 2022, and amended in June that year amidst a huge publicity campaign mounted by the plaintiffs.
A few months later, in December, it was announced that the action had been moved to mediation. Harvard, characteristically, offered no comment on the outcome. The plaintiffs lawyers offered a bland statement to the effect that they were proud of the bravery of the clients in speaking out about “significant issues” and glad that they “can now move on with their lives and careers.”
On August 19, Inside Higher Education reported that “Harvard Students Agree to Drop Suit over Comaroff’s Alleged Harassment,” having agreed with the University to file a motion “agreeing to dismiss the case without costs.” It also noted that, while “some media outlets have reported that there is a settlement,” none has actually been made public. In sum, there is no known factual basis for those reports.
