California — The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a federal lawsuit against the University of California, Los Angeles, alleging the university violated federal civil rights law by failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination and harassment on campus.
According to the complaint, filed by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, UCLA demonstrated “deliberate indifference” to what federal officials describe as pervasive antisemitic and anti-Israeli discrimination following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.
The lawsuit alleges UCLA violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs. The Justice Department contends that Jewish and Israeli students were subjected to physical assaults, exclusion from campus facilities, and denial of educational opportunities because of their actual or perceived Jewish or Israeli heritage.
“Earlier this year, we sued UCLA for subjecting its Jewish and Israeli employees to an antisemitic hostile work environment,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Now, the Department of Justice calls UCLA to account for its toleration of the equally appalling hostile educational environment against its Jewish and Israeli students.”
Federal officials point to events in April 2024 as a key example of the alleged violations. According to the complaint, masked demonstrators established an encampment outside Royce Hall and allegedly assaulted Jewish and Israeli students through physical attacks that included kicking, striking with sticks, pepper spraying, and knocking some students unconscious. The lawsuit further alleges that demonstrators formed human barriers that prevented Jewish and Israeli students from accessing academic buildings.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said universities have a legal responsibility to ensure equal access to education.
“Universities that violate our nation’s civil rights laws by repeatedly failing to shield Jewish students from antisemitism will be held accountable,” Essayli said.
The Justice Department also alleges UCLA breached contractual obligations tied to federal grants and funding by certifying compliance with Title VI while failing to adequately address discrimination complaints.
The lawsuit follows a federal investigation into reports of antisemitic incidents at UCLA and the department’s findings that the university did not fulfill its legal obligations to protect students from unlawful discrimination.
The case is part of a broader federal effort to address antisemitism on college campuses nationwide following a surge in reported incidents after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. Civil rights investigations and lawsuits involving allegations of antisemitism have also been launched at several other universities across the country, including Columbia University and Harvard University. According to data from the Anti-Defamation League, reported antisemitic incidents in the United States reached record levels in 2024, including increases in harassment, vandalism, and assaults targeting Jewish individuals and institutions. The campus protests that followed the war have generated ongoing debate over free speech, student safety, and universities’ obligations under federal civil rights laws.
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