The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division filed a major federal lawsuit against the University of California on Tuesday, alleging that the UCLA campus has become a hostile work environment for Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff.
The legal action claims the university violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to stop a “pattern or practice” of discrimination and harassment that intensified following the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.
According to the complaint, the university allowed antisemitic harassment to reach a breaking point in 2024, particularly during demonstrations near Royce Hall. The DOJ alleges that during this time, Jewish employees were barred from parts of the main quad, professors were physically assaulted, and swastikas were painted on campus buildings.
The suit further claims that UCLA officials ignored their own rules regarding time, place, and manner restrictions for campus protests, essentially permitting the disruption of classrooms and the physical threatening of staff.
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“Based on our investigation, UCLA administrators allegedly allowed virulent anti-Semitism to flourish on campus, harming students and staff alike,” stated Attorney General Pam Bondi. She emphasized that the lawsuit is intended to send a message that the Justice Department will take a firm stand against hate and antisemitic conduct in professional and educational settings.
The allegations paint a picture of a workplace where Jewish and Israeli employees were forced to face ostracism not just from students, but from their own colleagues and supervisors.
The filing suggests that some university staff members who were required to report harassment instead participated in it. As a result, the DOJ says many employees were forced to take leaves of absence, move to remote work, or resign entirely to escape the environment.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon described the reported events as a “mark of shame” for the university system, promising that the government would work to ensure UCLA provides a workplace free from harassment.
The case originated from a 2024 investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which criticized the university’s internal complaint system as being inadequate for handling these reports.
“The federal government has an obligation to step in and ensure a discrimination-free environment at our universities,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. UCLA has long maintained a public commitment to diversity and equal opportunity, but the DOJ argues the university failed to live up to those standards when it mattered most.
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