The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) announced on Dec. 20 that it has reached a resolution agreement with five UC campuses — one of which is UCLA — over complaints that the universities failed to adequately respond to instances of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and discrimination based on Israeli, Palestinian and Arab ancestry.
The resolution agreement involved nine complaints involving UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz. OCR’s announcement particularly focused on UCLA, noting that the complaints involved reports in which there were chants of “death to Israel” and “intifada now” as well as video showing students beating an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on campus and one student purportedly shouting “beat that f—ing Jew” during that incident. OCR had also investigated reports that Jewish students were barred from entering parts of campus by members of the anti-Israel encampment over the spring unless the students renounced Zionism. Additionally, OCR investigated reports that Muslim and Palestinian students were followed, doxed and filmed without their consent and that UCLA campus police “allegedly failed to protect Palestinian, Arab, and/or pro-Palestinian student protestors while they were violently attacked, injured, and intimidated by counter-protestors.”
“(UCLA campus police) allegedly failed to protect Palestinian, Arab, and/or pro-Palestinian student protestors while they were violently attacked, injured, and intimidated by counter-protestors.”
“Of particular concern were reports of violence against students of Jewish and Israeli ancestry by protesters at the encampment and of a violent assault by counter-protestors on pro-Palestinian protesters at the encampment on April 30, 2024, and the subsequent law enforcement response, which the UCLA Chancellor described as one in which students ‘feared for their safety,’” the OCR announcement stated. “In addition, OCR has a concern that the encampment at UCLA in spring 2024 may have subjected students to different treatment based on their national origin/shared Jewish ancestry, when their access to parts of the campus or UCLA programs was limited. OCR identified a similar concern about possible disparate treatment with respect to Jewish students’ access to a multicultural center at UC Santa Barbara.”
Regarding the other UC campuses, OCR stated that “UC Santa Barbara received notice of antisemitic vandalism at a dorm room and signs posted at a student center that targeted some named Jewish students and stated that Zionists were not welcome. UC San Diego and UC Davis also received reports and complaints about students witnessing or experiencing antisemitic comments or actions by students and professors at protests, online, or in campus departments. Chancellors at various UC campuses made statements to their communities acknowledging hate speech, antisemitic and anti-Muslim discrimination, and/or other harms that students on their respective campuses had experienced.”
Under the resolution agreement, the UC schools will review all complaints of harassment and discrimination in the current and previous academic school years, receive OCR approval for any changes to policies and procedures to ensure they’re compliant with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, provide training to school employees and police to ensure they know how to respond to reports of discrimination and conduct a campus climate survey.
Regarding UCLA, the resolution agreement states that the university will investigate “(i) whether UCLA students were blocked from accessing parts of campus based on their actual or perceived Jewish and/or Israeli shared ancestry and/or the association with these national origins/shared ancestries as a result of the Encampment between April 25, 2024 and May 2, 2024; (ii) whether UCLA faculty/instructors held classes or office hours in the Encampment between April 25, 2024 and May 2, 2024; and (iii) whether UCLA, including its police, public safety officers, and security contractors, engaged in disparate treatment or harassment of UCLA students and employees based on their actual or perceived national origin/shared ancestry, including the association with these national origins/shared ancestries, when responding to the UCLA Encampment on April 30, 2024, and May 1, 2024, including when responding to the actions of protestors, counter-protestors, and non-UCLA law enforcement.”
The UC Office of the President said in a statement to The Journal: “The University of California unequivocally rejects antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of harassment and discrimination. The University is pleased to share that it has entered a voluntary resolution agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), furthering UC’s commitment to cultivate a respectful and welcoming environment free from discrimination and harassment based on national origin. This agreement builds upon the University’s ongoing efforts to combat discrimination and harassment based on national origin, including Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim ancestry, and/or association with these actual or perceived identities.” The office added that the agreement “is one of many important steps reflecting the University’s continued commitment to supporting the wellbeing of impacted community members, education and training, and prompt and appropriate responses to all reports of discrimination and harassment. Key among these is the 2024 launch of UC’s Systemwide Office of Civil Rights and the University’s systemwide Anti-Discrimination Policy. To further support these efforts, the University also issued a systemwide directive on policies impacting expressive activities to protect the UC community from harassment or threats, from impediments to access to classrooms and other buildings, and from violence of any kind.”
