This post was updated Feb. 24 at 3:02 p.m.
The United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the UC on Tuesday, alleging the University allowed a hostile environment for its Jewish and Israeli employees.
The department launched an investigation into the UC on March 6, 2025 over its alleged antisemitic treatment of employees in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prevents employers from discriminating against staff on the basis of race, religion, sex, color or national origin.
The 81-page complaint – filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California – alleged that UCLA allowed antisemitic protests on its campus, following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people, according to PBS. It also alleges that the 2024 Palestine solidarity encampment at UCLA – set up by pro-Palestine groups to call for the UC to divest from companies associated with the Israeli military, which killed more than 70,000 Palestinians throughout the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry – excluded Jewish people and featured antisemitic chants and posters, but the university allowed it to continue.
Police swept the encampment May 2, 2024 – nearly a week after it was erected – and arrested more than 200 people.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a Tuesday DOJ press release that a department investigation found UCLA administrators allegedly allowed antisemitism against both students and employees.
[Related: Department of Justice opens investigation into antisemitism allegations at UC]
Mary Osako, the vice chancellor for strategic communications, said in a written statement that Chancellor Julio Frenk and the university have taken action against antisemitism.
“We stand firmly by the decisive actions we have taken to combat antisemitism in all its forms, and we will vigorously defend our efforts and our unwavering commitment to providing a safe, inclusive environment for all members of our community,” she said in the statement.
The move to sue the University came less than two weeks after the DOJ dropped its appeal of a decision blocking the Trump administration’s $1.2 billion settlement demand to restore research funds to UCLA. The settlement, if agreed to, would have restored the $584 million in federal research grants that the federal government suspended in July.
The federal government alleged that UCLA allowed antisemitism, affirmative action and “men to participate in women’s sports” as reasoning for the freeze. The same judge who blocked the DOJ’s settlement demand also temporarily reinstated the bulk of UCLA’s frozen research grants in two decisions made in August and September.
[Related: Federal judge orders Trump administration to restore $500M of UCLA research grants]
The DOJ alleged in the lawsuit that UCLA’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion did not investigate any claims filed by Jewish and Israeli employees until the DOJ announced it was investigating the university for antisemitic treatment of its employees in March 2025. The DOJ also claimed in the press release that some Jewish and Israeli employees have left their jobs, taken leave or chosen to work from home in order to avoid the allegedly antisemitic environment.
“The litany of vile acts of antisemitism that allegedly took place, and continue to take place, at UCLA are, if found to be true, a mark of shame against the University of California,” said Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division who has led several investigations into UCLA, in the press release. “The Justice Department will ensure that UCLA maintains an environment for its employees free from antisemitic harassment.”The complaint also mentions Alicia Verdugo, who was USAC’s Cultural Affairs commissioner from 2022-2025 but resigned amid allegations they deliberately rejected Jewish applicants to their office.
[Related: USAC Cultural Affairs commissioner resigns amid antisemitism allegations]
The complaint includes several images from the 2024 Palestine solidarity encampment, including an aerial photograph of the encampment in Dickson Plaza and photos of Royce Hall, after the encampment, which had phrases such as “F*** Israel” and “Free Gaza” spray-painted on its walls.
The DOJ requested in the filing that the UC enter an agreement with the court to prevent alleged discrimination against its Jewish and Israeli employees going forward. It also recommended the university modify and enforce its antidiscrimination and antiretaliation policies to prevent antisemitic discrimination and retaliation.
It also requested in the complaint that the UC award damages to the named parties, as well as other Jewish and Israeli employees who were allegedly subjected to a hostile work environment.
“UCLA failed to live up to its systemwide commitment to diversity and equal opportunity when it stood by as Jewish employees were subjected to harassment,” said Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney of the Central District of California in the DOJ press release. “The federal government has an obligation to step in and ensure a discrimination-free environment at our universities.”
