Judge Order UCLA to Stop Antisemitism

A federal judge has ordered UCLA to devise a plan to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment and discrimination on campus, following allegations of civil rights violations linked to a pro-Palestinian encampment.

A U.S. judge has mandated that the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) devise a plan to protect Jewish students from antisemitic encampments and discrimination on campus. Judge Mark C. Scarsi issued the order on Monday, instructing UCLA to collaborate with the lawyers for the Jewish plaintiffs, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and Clement & Murphy PLLC, and submit the proposal by August 5.

According to Breitbart News, UCLA allowed a large encampment on campus in April, where Jewish students and others faced civil rights violations as their access to public areas, including classrooms, was obstructed.

Jewish students sued UCLA to enforce their civil rights. The university admitted to erecting steel barriers around the antisemitic, pro-Palestinian encampment but claimed it did so to prevent further expansion.

In a press release, the Becket Fund reported:

“UCLA tried to force me to choose between being a student or being a Jew,” said Yitzchok Frankel, a rising third-year law student at UCLA. “I appreciate the chance to have my day in court, and I look forward to being able to return to campus safely next month.”

Frankel, a law student and father of four, faced antisemitic harassment last semester simply for wearing a kippah. He was forced to change his regular routes through campus due to what plaintiffs referred to as the "Jew Exclusion Zone." He detailed how UCLA’s continued failures led him to cancel plans on campus with his family and forgo opportunities to mentor incoming Jewish students during orientation week. Another law student, Eden Shemuelian, also had to avoid using campus facilities and participating in law school orientation events because of UCLA’s ongoing failures to ensure the safety and equal access of Jewish students.

“It’s disgusting that a prestigious American university would aid and abet antisemitic agitators who harass and segregate Jewish students,” said Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and an attorney for the students. “UCLA’s behavior needs to change, and we look forward to working out an appropriate plan that protects Jewish students on campus.”