Justice Department Sues UCLA Over Failure to Protect Jewish Employees from Antisemitic Harassment

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has initiated a lawsuit against the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), claiming that the institution failed to protect Jewish employees from antisemitic harassment during pro-Palestinian protests in 2023 and 2024.

This lawsuit, filed recently in California, marks a significant action in the Trump administration's efforts to hold universities accountable for perceived negligence regarding antisemitism. It asserts that UCLA did not take appropriate action against individuals involved in these protests, including many who faced arrest in 2024 for refusing to disperse from a campus gathering.

A spokesperson for the University of California referred inquiries to UCLA, which has not yet provided a comment on the situation.

Previous findings by Trump administration officials indicated that UCLA had inadequately protected Jewish students, leading to a $6 million settlement last year with three Jewish students and a Jewish professor who filed a lawsuit against the university. The current lawsuit alleges that the impact on Jewish and Israeli employees is far more extensive than what was addressed in that settlement.

The suit states, “The United States will now do what UC has thus far failed to do: protect Jewish and Israeli employees” from antisemitic harassment. It claims that UCLA's administration ignored and sometimes enabled blatant antisemitic actions while neglecting pleas for assistance from Jewish and Israeli staff.

The complaint focuses significantly on a 2024 protest encampment, which federal officials allege obstructed Jewish employees and students' access to parts of the campus and featured antisemitic slogans. On one occasion, counterprotesters confronted the encampment, resulting in violence that led to injuries and multiple arrests.

The lawsuit contends UCLA violated its own regulations by allowing the encampment and accuses the university of failing to take disciplinary action against any individuals for antisemitic conduct.

The Justice Department is seeking a judicial order to compel UCLA to enforce its anti-discrimination policies and to award damages to Jewish employees who experienced a hostile work environment, although it does not specify an amount.

The Trump administration has primarily targeted elite private universities in its campaign against what it perceives as liberal biases and antisemitism on campuses. UCLA stands out as one of the few public institutions under scrutiny.

Last summer, the administration sought $1 billion from UCLA as part of a settlement to end federal investigations, having previously restricted hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to the university. A federal judge later mandated the restoration of those funds.