The Department of Justice has finally decided to get serious about protecting Jewish students at UCLA. This is the third lawsuit they filed against the university, which, if justified, could cause huge damage to the campus in the federal funds they receive. UCLA insists that they have acted to improve conditions for Jews, but they are accused of ignoring complaints and providing less than perfect responses to violence:
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UCLA’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion office is accused of neglecting over 100 complaints of antisemitic harassment that ranged from outright intimidation to physical violence. As noted in the lawsuit, protesters formed ‘human phalanxes’ at times, effectively barricading Jewish students from accessing vital parts of the campus. [snip]
In one disturbing claim, a Jewish student was allegedly assaulted, kicked to the ground, and knocked unconscious during a protest. This escalating violence led to the establishment of an antisemitism task force by the Trump administration, which subsequently visited UCLA. Despite this intervention, the university’s response to violence was reportedly tepid; police were instructed to focus on de-escalation rather than actively enforcing campus policies during later protests, allowing the troubles to continue unchallenged.
This pathetic response from UCLA and the police sends the message that no one takes the problem seriously. They claimed to have changed policies to provide protection, but their actual response to violations is pitiful. The DOJ lawsuit claims that pro-Palestinian students attacked Jewish students with sticks, beat some students unconscious, and created an atmosphere of danger and intimidation:
The inadequacies of UCLA’s response are further evidenced by the findings of its own internal task force. The DOJ highlighted that this task force found campus leadership repeatedly chose not to enforce relevant laws and regulations that protect students’ rights. Particularly telling is the survey mentioned in the lawsuit, which revealed that nearly 60% of Jewish students felt compelled to spend less time on campus due to pervasive antisemitism, and over 40% even considered leaving the institution for the same reason.
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The steps they have taken to mitigate the situation are misleading. According to University of California President James B. Milliken, they have “instituted numerous systemwide reforms and programs” to fight anti-Semitism; hired a new chancellor who has made protection of students “a high priority”; reorganized their Civil Rights Office; and appointed a Title VI officer. Milliken also reminded the DOJ that this lawsuit does nothing to solve the problem.
The fact is that UCLA can develop, appoint, and mandate all the programs in the world, but if they don’t take action, implement penalties, and hold people accountable, nothing will change.
This time, the DOJ has gotten serious about issuing consequences:
The government is asking the court to force UCLA to repay federal grant money going back more than two years — potentially hundreds of millions of dollars — bar it from new federal contracts until it’s deemed in compliance with civil rights law, and install an independent court-appointed monitor that would oversee its civil rights practices. The department is also asking for the court to force reforms to UCLA’s anti-discrimination procedures.
Will these outcomes make a difference? It’s hard to say, but UCLA will feel the pain in its pocketbook this time if they don’t act.
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