Trump administration sues University of California over alleged antisemitism at UCLA

• The US Justice Department has sued the University of California system, alleging UCLA failed to protect Jewish faculty and staff from antisemitic harassment.

The United States Department of Justice on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit against the University of California system, accusing its Los Angeles campus, UCLA, of permitting a hostile work environment driven by antisemitism that violated federal civil rights law, according to official court filings and legal sources.

The complaint, filed in the Central District of California, alleges that Jewish and 'Israeli' faculty and staff at UCLA were subjected to repeated harassment and discriminatory conduct following the October 7, 2023 including antisemitic graffiti and physical threats.

It claims university administrators failed to prevent, investigate or correct the conduct, creating a “pattern or practice of discrimination” in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

According to the Justice Department, incidents at UCLA included Jewish individuals being barred from portions of campus, classrooms disrupted by hostility, workplaces defaced with disturbing imagery, and professors subjected to ostracism and harassment. The suit alleges supervisors and colleagues ignored or even participated in discriminatory behavior while complaints went unaddressed.

The lawsuit seeks a federal court order requiring UCLA to enforce its anti-discrimination policies, conduct training to prevent antisemitism, investigate complaints properly, and provide relief to affected employees. It marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to hold universities accountable for campus climate issues amid broader tensions over pro-Palestinian protests and free speech debates.

UCLA and the University of California system have not immediately responded to requests for comment on the latest legal action.