The University of California (UC) system has settled for $2.33 million a lawsuit brought by eight organizations that represent UCLA’s Jewish community. Beyond the terms of the settlement, they will provide additional funding to address antisemitism on campus. This settlement follows on the heels of multiple allegations. Protesters, with the tacit approval and knowledge of UC officials, allegedly barred Jewish students from entering university buildings and allegedly chanted antisemitic threats at protests.
Last year, this lawsuit was filed, which spotlighted the frustrations that Jewish students face at UCLA. These challenges come in the wake of a wave of pro-Palestinian protests. The protests were violent, intimidating, and unruly, such as demonstrating Q movement at the grounds of the Arizona Capital. This has fostered a hostile climate for Jewish students on campus. The settlement will pay each plaintiff $50,000 and direct $320,000 toward a campus-wide initiative aimed at combating antisemitism.
Janet Reilly, chair of the UC board of regents, agreed that the university has failed to do enough to address these complaints. Fight antisemitism The president stressed the institution’s commitment to being better prepared to respond to antisemitism.
“Antisemitism, harassment and other forms of intimidation are antithetical to our values and have no place at the University of California. We have been clear about where we have fallen short, and we are committed to doing better moving forward,” – Janet Reilly
As part of this promise, the UC is dedicated to fighting against antisemitism. Most importantly, it is shining the spotlight on bad information regarding campus policies on encampments and policies opposing calls to boycott Israel. Furthermore, the university has released a systemwide anti-discrimination policy to allay the concerns expressed by activists.
The Department of Justice announced plans to investigate the UC system for potential violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 concerning antisemitic discrimination. As this investigation details, it’s a continued examination of how the university has dealt with these kinds of issues.
Thomas Harvey, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, said that the university’s actions as protestors gathered raised serious First Amendment concerns.
“This was four-plus hours of unmitigated violence while UCLA private security stood sometimes feet away and did nothing to protect the faculty, students and community members protesting genocide,” – Thomas Harvey
These measures, finalized in today’s settlement, are considered by the Justice Department to be a step towards creating a safer atmosphere for all students. A collaborative statement from the parties at the table lauded the terms of the agreement.
“We are pleased with the terms of today’s settlement. The injunction and other terms UCLA has agreed to demonstrate real progress in the fight against antisemitism,” – Joint statement