UCLA Settles Discrimination Complaints for Over $6 Million

In a significant move, the University of California, Los Angeles has agreed to pay over $6 million to settle discrimination complaints brought forth by Jewish students and teachers in 2024.

The university reached this consent ruling on Tuesday, agreeing to disburse $6.13 million to the plaintiffs in what is deemed the largest private settlement of its kind, stemming from the lawsuit.

Should a federal judge finalize the settlement, it will remain in effect for the next 15 years.

The lawsuit was initiated last year following admissions by the Regent Committee and Prime Minister Gene Block, who testified in parliament that the university had failed to take action against protesters obstructing the campus.

During a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing in May 2024, Block was asked about video footage showing protesters blocking Jewish undergraduates’ access to the campus. He stated that blocking students based on race, religion, or ethnicity violated university policy.

Block further emphasized to Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) during that same hearing that it was unacceptable to impede access to the campus, which should be open to all students.

This situation was part of a broader wave of protests seen at American universities in spring 2024, leading to violent clashes between anti-Israel protesters and law enforcement.

More than 200 individuals were arrested when police deemed the protest an unlawful assembly.

Mark Rienzi, President of the Beckett Fund for Religious Freedom, stated, “The plaintiff filed this lawsuit because he was subjected to egregious anti-Semitic harassment on a public university campus.” Yitzchok Frankel, a third-year law student at UCLA, was among those plaintiffs, having faced anti-Semitic harassment for wearing a Kippah.

Other Jewish professors and students, like Eden Siemrean, also joined the lawsuit. Siemrean mentioned being unable to attend the Law School Orientation because of the hostility on campus.

Security measures were heightened, with officials restricting access to Jewish community members without “approved wristbands,” while bicycle racks were used to block off demonstrators from other universities, as reported by Rienzi.

Rienzi further remarked, “It’s unacceptable to yield to anti-Semitism. We shouldn’t witness this in America again.” Last August, a federal judge in Los Angeles dismissed a motion to ensure equal access for Jewish students to school programs and activities, suggesting the university fell short of protecting its Jewish community.

In a striking 16-page order, District Judge Mark Scarsi remarked on the exclusion of Jewish students from parts of the UCLA campus, asserting that their faith led to their exclusion, which he deemed a severe violation of religious freedoms.

Reports issued by UCLA’s interim Prime Minister in October 2024 confirmed the persistence of anti-Semitism on campus.

The recent consent ruling reiterated Scarsi’s previous judgment, highlighting the exclusion of Jewish students, faculty, and staff based on their religious beliefs regarding Israel.

The Justice Department expressed interest in the litigation after UCLA sought to dismiss the case. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office investigated the discrimination complaints against UCLA last year, which was subsequently graded a “D” by the Prevention League for its handling of anti-Semitism on campus.

Mary Osaco, UCLA’s Deputy Prime Minister for Strategic Communications, had argued against Scarsi’s ruling, suggesting it hindered the university’s ability to address contemporary events effectively. She emphasized UCLA’s commitment to fostering an inclusive campus culture free from discrimination.

No immediate comment was provided by a UCLA representative following the settlement announcement.