The US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday (February 24) that it is filing a lawsuit against the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), accusing the school of creating a hostile work environment for Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff, thereby violating federal anti-discrimination laws.
According to a press release issued by the Department of Justice on Tuesday, the lawsuit, brought by the Department’s Civil Rights Division, alleges that UCLA violated the provisions of Title VII of the amended 1964 Civil Rights Act.
The complaint filed on Tuesday alleges that after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas militants on Israel, anti-Jewish behaviors spread at UCLA, and the school failed to prevent and address discrimination and harassment targeting Jewish and Israeli employees on campus, thus constituting systematic discrimination against these employees, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination against employees based on factors such as race, religion, and nationality.
The lawsuit further alleges that the school negligently allowed a hostile work environment to persist for two complainants and other Jewish and Israeli employees who were harmed.
The complaint cites several instances, such as in 2024, when anti-Jewish harassment activities were allowed to continue for several days in front of the school’s iconic Royce Hall. During this time, Jews were prohibited from entering certain areas of the main square, Jewish professors were attacked, and Nazi symbols were found on university buildings.
The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice alleges that the school had ignored, and continued to ignore, serious and repeated violations against Jewish and Israeli employees, which seriously contravenes the restrictions on viewpoint neutrality under civil rights laws. Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff faced personal threats, disruptions to their classroom teaching, and their workplaces were decorated with unsettling imagery.
The complaint also alleges that Jewish professors faced ongoing exclusion and harassment from colleagues and students, with their colleagues and supervisors not only failing to report these behaviors as required but even participating in them. Many Jewish and Israeli employees were forced to take leave, work remotely, or even resign to avoid the hostile work environment.
First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli stated, “UCLA stood by while Jewish employees faced harassment, failing to fulfill its commitment to diversity and equal opportunity campus-wide. The federal government has a responsibility to intervene to ensure our universities have a discrimination-free environment.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi also stated in the press release, “According to our investigation, UCLA’s management allegedly allowed vile anti-Semitism to thrive on campus, harming students and faculty. Today’s lawsuit underscores that this administration’s Department of Justice strongly opposes all forms of hatred and anti-Semitism in any despicable form.”
UCLA has not immediately commented on the matter.