Harvard University officials and dozens of its law professors are locked in a standoff over the university's new sexual misconduct policy after the administration rejected their demands that the school retract it.

The administration said in a statement that it disagrees with the 28 members of the law school faculty who signed a statement this week condemning a policy that the scholars say lacks "the most basic elements of fairness and due process" protections for students accused by other students of rape or sexual...