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Students 4 Mental Health Justice, an advocacy group composed partly of Harvard undergraduates, sued the University over allegations that it discriminates against students with mental health disabilities in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act on Thursday.

The suit alleges that Harvard “responds to disability-related behavior with exclusion, blame, and draconian measures,” adding that the University’s policies “illegally discriminate against students with mental health disabilities.”

A University spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the allegations.

Under Harvard’s current policies, students who take a medical leave of absence must petition the Harvard College Administrative Board to register for classes. According to the Harvard Student Handbook, these students “must demonstrate that the circumstances that led to their leave have been satisfactorily addressed and that they are ready to resume their studies.”

But the lawsuit alleges that Harvard places “additional barriers” on students when returning to campus after a mental health-related leave of absence.

When returning to campus from a voluntary or involuntary leave, students may be asked to disclose their medical records to Harvard University Health Services “if the College learns of serious concerns about the health or well-being of a student.” The lawsuit explicitly targets this measure as coercive and discriminatory.

“We are seeking an end to the automatic campus bans and an end to the onerous requirements that Harvard imposes for students seeking to return,” Madeleine J. Reichman, an attorney for Disability Rights Advocates and counsel for S4MHJ, said.

“Harvard is imposing these requirements, particularly on students with mental health disabilities and not on other students who may be seeking to return to campus following other types of leave or other types of hospitalization,” Reichman added.

The suit lists the direct experiences of five anonymous students who allege Harvard’s mental health policies and practices directly harm them. The students report having to sign the contract and receive specific mental health treatment.

One of the plaintiffs was barred by the University from entering campus after experiencing a mental health-related hospitalization, resulting in her having to take a semester-long leave of absence.

“Because Harvard did not permit Student A back on campus after her hospitalization, even to finish final exams, she risked being forced into an academic withdrawal,” the group wrote in the suit. “Given the limited choice between being forced into academic withdrawal or taking a medical leave of absence for the rest of the term and entire next semester, Student A chose the latter.”

The lawsuit also cited an instance where a student “was deterred from seeking on-campus mental health treatment for suicidal ideation because she feared that she would be placed on a leave of absence” as an example of how the University’s policies allegedly harm students on campus.

While the suit details five experiences, S4MHJ is comprised of approximately 30 members — many of whom are Harvard undergraduates — who are collectively suing the University. Eunice S. Chon ’26, a co-founder of S4MHJ, said the lawsuit “was the only option.”

“I’ve visited multiple students who were involuntarily hospitalized, and it was enough. I don’t think we had any other choice,” she said.

— Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at shawn.boehmer@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.

— Staff writer Abigail S. Gerstein can be reached at abigail.gerstein@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @abbysgerstein.