Justice Department Sues UCLA Over Anti-Jewish Workplace

(MENAFN) The US Justice Department on Tuesday initiated legal action against the University of California, accusing its Los Angeles campus of fostering an environment hostile to Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff.

The lawsuit, submitted in federal court, claims that incidents targeting Jewish individuals increased significantly at the University of California, Los Angeles following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack led by Hamas on Israel and the ensuing conflict in Gaza. According to the complaint, discriminatory and harassing behavior became widespread across the campus during that period.

Federal officials contend that the university demonstrated a “pattern or practice” of discrimination by failing to adequately address or prevent conduct directed at Jewish and Israeli employees.

“Based on our investigation, UCLA administrators allegedly allowed virulent anti-Semitism to flourish on campus, harming students and staff alike,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in the statement.

“Today’s lawsuit underscores that this Department of Justice stands strong against hate and anti-Semitism in all its vile forms.”

The legal move comes nearly seven months after the department called for extensive policy reforms and sought more than $1 billion from the university. The filing represents a significant intensification of tensions between the Trump administration and one of the nation’s largest public university systems, according to reports.

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