Before Harvard announced sanctions that punish students in single-sex social organizations, one in four undergraduates belonged to sororities, fraternities or all-women’s or all-men’s final clubs—opportunities protected by Title IX and the First Amendment. Starting this fall, members of those organizations are, in a word, blacklisted—stripped of opportunities to hold leadership roles in Harvard organizations and athletic teams, and to obtain post-graduate fellowships and scholarships influenced or controlled by Harvard. This decision was made unilaterally and rubber-stamped by the self-selected Corporation board behind closed doors, ignoring protests from students, faculty, parents and organizations.

The impact on women’s organizations has been devastating. As a result of this policy, almost all of the once vibrant sororities and women’s final clubs open to Harvard women have either closed or had to renounce their proud status as women’s social organizations. After membership soared to record highs in recent years, Harvard has erased the organizations designed to create opportunities, resources and sustainable networks built by women for women.

Students deserve the right to shape their own leadership and social paths, and such decisions shouldn’t be dictated to them by administrators. Mandated conformity cannot be in the service or spirit of diversity. While Harvard’s stated mission is to “educate the citizens and citizen-leaders for our society,” under its paternalism, its first lesson is to surrender your rights.

On December 3, 2018, sororities, fraternities and students filed lawsuits in federal and Massachusetts court challenging the Harvard sanction policy that punishes students who join off-campus, single-sex social organizations. Learn more about the suits.