Lawsuit Accuses UCLA of Failing to Protect Jewish Students From Discrimination and Violence Following October 7
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a federal lawsuit against the University of California, alleging that the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from antisemitic discrimination, creating what federal officials describe as a “hostile educational environment” in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Filed by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in the Central District of California, the lawsuit claims UCLA demonstrated “deliberate indifference” to repeated incidents of harassment, exclusion, and violence targeting Jewish and Israeli students following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.
“Earlier this year, we sued UCLA for subjecting its Jewish and Israeli employees to an antisemitic hostile work environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “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 allege that antisemitic incidents on campus escalated significantly after October 7, with Jewish and Israeli students reportedly facing physical assaults, exclusion from parts of campus, and disruptions to their educational access due to their identity or perceived national origin.
The lawsuit highlights a major flashpoint in April 2024, when masked demonstrators established an encampment near Royce Hall during pro-Palestinian protests. According to the complaint, Jewish and Israeli students were allegedly blocked from entering academic buildings by demonstrators forming “human phalanxes,” while some students reported being kicked, pepper-sprayed, struck with sticks, and physically assaulted.
“Universities have an obligation to maintain safe and inclusive campuses for all students,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “Universities that violate our nation’s civil rights laws by repeatedly failing to shield Jewish students from antisemitism will be held accountable.”
The Justice Department argues UCLA violated Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin at federally funded institutions. The complaint also alleges the university breached federal funding agreements by certifying compliance with anti-discrimination laws while allegedly failing to adequately respond to antisemitic incidents.
The lawsuit stems from a broader federal investigation into reports of antisemitism at UCLA and comes amid heightened national scrutiny over how universities have handled protests and campus tensions related to the Israel-Hamas war.
UCLA has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.
