Settlement Reached Over Anti-Semitism Policies at UC Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley will pay $1 million and revise its anti-Semitism policies as part of a settlement with the Brandeis Center. This amount is intended to cover the legal fees incurred by the Brandeis Center.
As part of the settlement, the university affirmed its ban on discrimination or harassment based on religion or ethnic background, explicitly mentioning Jewish and Israeli identities. Additionally, UC Berkeley agreed to implement the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. Nonetheless, the university mentioned in its post-settlement statement that it has already been considering the IHRA’s definition when reviewing such allegations.
The settlement mandates that the university clarify on the website of its Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) that “the Zionist ban has historically been used by some individuals and groups as a pretext to exclude Jews.” It also includes a promise to examine whether the label of Zionism or “Zionist” has been employed as a stand-in for Jews or Israelis.
In a statement, UC Berkeley highlighted that the settlement aligns with its ongoing commitment to combat anti-Semitic expression, harassment, and discrimination on campus.
Mixed Reactions to Anti-Semitism Report
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recently evaluated Jewish life at UC Berkeley as “excellent.” In its 2026 Campus Anti-Semitism Report Card, the university received a “B,” a step up from the “C” it earned the previous year and the “D” from 2024.
Kenneth L. Marcus, the Brandeis Center’s president and a former U.S. assistant secretary of education, characterized the situation in Berkeley as concerning. He remarked that institutions must confront anti-Zionist exceptions to their codes of conduct and cannot silence Jewish Americans under the guise of other political motives. He cautioned that unchecked anti-Semitic attitudes could continue, whether they were framed as anti-Zionism or not.
Paul Eccles, a senior attorney at the Brandeis Center, remarked that while this settlement is a notable achievement in the fight against anti-Semitism, it shouldn’t be perceived as the final objective.
The lawsuit, initially filed in 2023, claims widespread anti-Semitic harassment targeted at Jewish students, especially following the Hamas attacks in Israel. Various accounts in the lawsuit detail incidents where students faced anti-Semitic harassment at the university.
One particularly alarming claim recounts an incident where a UC Berkeley student wrapped in an Israeli flag was assaulted with a metal water bottle by protesters. Another account describes a Jewish graduate student experiencing trespassing incidents alongside threatening notes. According to the lawsuit, many Jewish students reportedly feel anxious about attending their classes.
Some students were allegedly blocked and verbally attacked by protesters, encountering slurs such as “dirty Zionists.” The report indicated that Jewish students were frequently targeted based on identifying features like the Star of David or yarmulke.
Eccles praised those Jewish students who bravely shared their experiences of harassment, even when those stories were initially overlooked or ignored.
He stated, “It was their tangible experiences with anti-Semitism that ultimately prompted the reconciliation and helped convince UC Berkeley to embrace the necessary reforms.”
The lawsuit also references incidents involving Jewish professors, including one who received a violent email inciting harm and another who was subject to vandalism labeling him a terrorist. It also points to a campaign by a student group called Bears for Palestine, which successfully halted a speaking event for Jewish students in February 2024, resulting in a chaotic confrontation.
Now, there are broader discussions about the implications of this settlement and how universities can ensure that respect and tolerance prevail.
