California Governor Gavin Newsom suggested on Thursday that the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) should step down before the federal government settles a fine related to anti-Semitism on campus.
Several Ivy League institutions have faced penalties, with notable fines including over $200 million for Columbia and $50 million for Brown, linked to claims of escalating anti-Semitism on their campuses.
UCLA has experienced some of the most severe anti-Semitic incidents and violence in the nation during the anti-Israel protests in the spring of 2024. The Trump administration flagged UCLA as a key research priority and subsequently pulled $200 million in research funding. The university faced nearly $600 million in fines last week after it was determined that it had breached the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli students.
During a Q&A at events focused on artificial intelligence and the workforce, Newsom indicated that UCLA should not accept fines and would even consider resigning to avoid them.
“We’re not Brown or Columbia. If we start to act like that, I won’t remain as governor, period. That’s a full stop. I’ll do everything I can to prevent that,” he stated.
Newsom also downplayed the anti-Semitism issue, attributing the conflict to “the disposition of the troubled individual who is the current president of the United States.”
The Los Angeles Times noted: “The university system, managed by the President and Regent Committee, is constitutionally independent of ‘any political or sectarian influence.’ However, the governor can influence political dynamics concerning the Regents he appoints.
