Trump admin sues University of California for allegedly fostering hostile workplace for Jewish employees

The Trump administration sued the University of California system on Tuesday, alleging that its UCLA campus fostered a hostile antisemitic environment for Jewish and Israeli employees.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles by the Department of Justice (DOJ), represents the latest effort by the Trump administration to combat antisemitism, following a nationwide wave of campus protests sparked by the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. 

"Based on our investigation, UCLA administrators allegedly allowed virulent anti-Semitism to flourish on campus, harming students and staff alike," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. "Today’s lawsuit underscores that this Department of Justice stands strong against hate and anti-Semitism in all its vile forms."

The Justice Department mainly alleges that UCLA violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

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The text cites numerous instances in which the campus allegedly failed to prevent and address discriminatory and harassing conduct, including unlawful encampments, physical assaults, and the use of antisemitic tropes that disrupted campus operations and safety.

"In 2024, the University allowed antisemitic harassment to continue unabated for days in front of its iconic Royce Hall," the DOJ said. "Jews were not permitted on portions of the main quad, Jewish professors were assaulted, and swastikas were graffitied on University buildings."

"The University has ignored, and continues to ignore, gross and repeated violations of viewpoint-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions involving these and other actions directed against Jewish and Israeli employees," the department added.

Last summer, UCLA agreed to pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that protesters created a "Jew Exclusion Zone," a reported segregation area that blocked Jews from accessing the heart of campus.

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Furthermore, the department accused UCLA of failing to investigate internal discrimination complaints and retaliating against faculty members who spoke out, specifically Professors Ian Holloway and Kamran Shamsa, who had filed discrimination charges.

"Numerous Jewish and Israeli employees have been forced to take leave, work from home, and even leave their jobs to avoid the hostile work environment," the department said. 

UCLA released a statement Tuesday calling antisemitism "abhorrent" that "has no place at UCLA or anywhere." 

The university added that it has established an "Initiative to Combat Antisemitism" with a clear mandate to implement "meaningful institutional change." It also reportedly hired a dedicated Title VI/Title VII officer to ensure oversight and accountability.

"These ongoing and long-standing institutional efforts, including clear expectations and a commitment to enforcement, are working," Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications Mary Osako said. "We stand firmly by the decisive actions we have taken to combat antisemitism in all its forms, and we will vigorously defend our efforts and our unwavering commitment to providing a safe, inclusive environment for all members of our community."

According to the lawsuit, the department is seeking injunctive relief, institutional policy reforms, and monetary damages for affected staff and professors.

An assistant attorney general added that the university system must confront the "vile acts" of antisemitism that have affected Jewish students and employees, indicating that the behavior is unacceptable and a serious violation of civil rights protections.

"The litany of vile acts of antisemitism that allegedly took place, and continue to take place, at UCLA are, if found to be true, a mark of shame against the University of California," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. "The Justice Department will ensure that UCLA maintains an environment for its employees free from antisemitic harassment."

Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.