The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is being sued by the Trump administration for allegedly creating a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students.
The lawsuit claims UCLA violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by “failing to prevent and correct discriminating and harassing conduct” after protests against Israel broke out across campus following October 7 and amid the ensuing Gaza War.
The justice department’s complaint said the “general atmosphere of antisemitism” was “so severe and so pervasive” at UCLA that it constituted a “hostile work environment” under the law.
Pam Bondi, the attorney general, said in a press release: “Based on our investigation, UCLA administrators allegedly allowed virulent antisemitism to flourish on campus, harming students and staff alike.”
The legal action is the latest in a series of similar actions against an American university by the US government since Donald Trump took office last year.
While the administration has pursued numerous investigations, funding cuts, and settlements with other universities (such as Columbia, Penn, Northwestern, and Brown) related to antisemitism claims, these did not involve lawsuits. Other investigations and lawsuits have been launched against universities across the country on issues relating to issues including diversity quotas and transgender policies.
Last summer, the Trump administration ordered UCLA to pay a $1 billion fine over a pro-Palestine encampment so that it could have a $500 million in grant funding restored. A judge blocked that order.
In July, UCLA agreed to pay $6.5 million to settle a lawsuit by three Jewish students and a member of staff who said the university had allowed antisemitic discrimination to take place on campus.
The settlement came after a federal investigation into the issue, carried out by the DOJ, found that the college was “deliberately indifferent” to antisemitism on its campus. The university admitted it had “fallen short” in the agreement.
Mary Osako, a UCLA vice chancellor, told the New York Times that the university condemned bigotry and that it had had “taken concrete and significant steps to strengthen campus safety, enforce policies and combat antisemitism in a systemic and sustained manner.”
“We stand firmly by the decisive actions we have taken to combat antisemitism in all its forms, and we will vigorously defend our efforts and our unwavering commitment to providing a safe, inclusive environment for all members of our community,” Osako said.
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