Harvard’s mental health policies under legal scrutiny as students claim harmful, discriminatory treatment

University responses to student mental health crises have become one of the most contested issues in U.S. higher education. In recent years, lawsuits at Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and other elite institutions have argued that mandatory leaves of absence and restrictive return conditions effectively punish students for experiencing a psychiatric emergency. Many colleges have since revised their rules under public pressure and legal oversight. Now, Harvard University is facing its own high-stakes legal challenge, after a group of students alleged that the College removes students from campus and imposes sweeping restrictions that violate federal disability law. The claims were first documented and reported by The Harvard Crimson, whose interviews form the backbone of the students’ publicl