The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against the University of California on Tuesday, accusing it of turning a "blind eye" to antisemitism during student protests against Israel on its Los Angeles campus, AFP reported.
The lawsuit follows President Donald Trump’s earlier demand for a $1 billion fine from the UC system over claims of antisemitism, marking a continuation of his administration’s efforts to combat pervasive hatred on US college campuses.
Filed by the Justice Department in a federal court in California, the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for Jewish and Israeli employees at UCLA, alleging that they were subjected to a hostile work environment.
The complaint highlights the university’s response to antisemitic acts following the October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel, accusing UCLA's administration of not only ignoring but sometimes facilitating antisemitism, despite cries for help from its Jewish and Israeli staff.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, “UCLA administrators allegedly allowed virulent antisemitism to flourish on campus, harming students and staff alike." She added, “Today's lawsuit underscores that this Department of Justice stands strong against hate and antisemitism in all its vile forms."
This legal action is part of a broader campaign initiated by Trump to address antisemitism at elite universities, following similar claims against Columbia University, which resulted in the school losing millions in federal funding and agreeing to settle for $200 million in damages.
Trump has also threatened Harvard University with hefty fines and additional investigations over its handling of antisemitic incidents during anti-Israel protests.
At least 25 people were arrested at UCLA in June after setting up multiple pro-Palestinian Arab encampments on campus that police said were unlawful.
As a result of the encampments, the group damaged a fountain, spray-painted brick walkways, tampered with fire safety equipment, damaged patio furniture, stripped wire from electrical fixtures and vandalized vehicles.
A day earlier, a Chabad Lubavitch rabbi at UCLA was assaulted by the anti-Israel activists. According to Shabbos Kestenbaum, an American Jew, the students called their victim a "Zionist pedophile rabbi," and told him to "go back to Poland."
In August, UCLA accepted a ruling that found it did not ensure equal access to the school for all students, including Jews.