City College of San Francisco Campus Union Leader Guilty of Discrimination and Harassment

In what the Brandeis Center and StandWithUs are hailing as a victory for Jewish students and professors, the City College of San Francisco recently determined that a campus union leader who called a Jewish professor a “colonizer” and mocked her last name in an expletive-filled tirade at a school meeting was guilty of discrimination and harassment.

An independent investigation commissioned by the school concluded that Maria Salazar-Colon, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 1021 on campus, “verbally assaulted” Professor Abigail Bornstein because she is Jewish. Bornstein had good cause to “perceive Salazar Colon’s communications as threatening or frightening,” the report said.

Salazar-Colon tried filing an appeal of the determination with the City College Board of Trustees earlier this year. But the Board took no action on the appeal so the decision is now final.

StandWithUs lawyer Deedee Bitran, who represented Bornstein in a discrimination complaint filed with the school, told the California Globe that the determination that union leader’s verbal onslaught was targeted harassment establishes the principle that, “antisemitic workplace harassment should not be shielded as protected political speech when it targets an individual based on his or her Jewish identity. Discriminatory treatment of minorities in the workplace—even when it takes the form of speech—may constitute unlawful harassment when it targets an individual’s protected identity. As this investigation confirms, calling a Jewish employee a “colonizer” or mocking a Jewish employee’s last name can be actionable harassment. This ruling serves as a persuasive example of how other colleges or universities should recognize when similar identity-based harassment has occurred, promptly intervene, and consistently enforce their policies to deter future violations.”

Bornstein said in a statement that, “From the moment the words were spoken, I knew this was more than incivility — it was a deeply personal and antisemitic attack. I am grateful that the College took my complaint seriously, retained an independent investigator, and ultimately confirmed that what occurred constituted harassment and discrimination based on my Jewish identity. No Jewish faculty member, employee, or student should have to endure language, intimidation, or threats rooted in antisemitism, and I hope the actions taken here help ensure that such conduct is clearly recognized and prevented going forward. Beyond enforcing existing policies, I look to the College to expand their efforts to create a safe and welcoming environment with visible concrete steps — including professional development and training for employees, board members, and student leaders — to ensure that the kind of antisemitism I experienced is clearly understood and not repeated.”

The fracas dates to a City College board of trustees meeting on May 29, 2025.

Salazar-Colon went ballistic after Bornstein opposed a budget request by her union.

She said, “I’m gonna tell you guys something. Well, actually, for that big mouth that is always in there. I really wish that that colonizer, Abigail Dumb-stine, would shut her damn mouth and not speak on SEIU items,” she said. “We don’t need her permission when it comes to our negotiations, but as usual, she doesn’t have a clue and is dumber than a bag of rocks and has no place whatsoever in our damn business.”

“She continues to have a fixation on some of her bullshit when it comes to SEIU,” Salazar-Colon said. “Maybe she should go do math, or maybe shut the fuck up. She needs to go focus on faculty. I’m sick of her shit. Shut the fuck up.”

And that was not all.

After the meeting, Salazar-Colon emailed Bornstein and said, “I challenge you to say it directly to our faces.”

She added, “you lack the power to stop or control SEIU, and you never will. Accept that, colonizer.”

The City College investigation determined that  “colonizer” was an anti-Semitic trope directed at Bornstein based on her Jewish identity.

The report said,  “The Investigator found that it was both subjectively and objectively reasonable for you to be offended by Salazar-Colon’s conduct. You and your counsel credibly explained the term ‘colonizer’ is offensive to Jewish people because it (1) holds all Jewish people accountable for the actions of the state of Israel; and (2) implies Jewish people have no right to exist in a specific area.”

Brandeis Center lawyer Deena Margolies, who also represented Bornstein, told the California Globe  that,  “The findings show anti-semitism in professional settings is real and actionable. That discrimination and intimidation are not protected activity. This was a targeted personal attack. It was targeted harassment based on her identity. She knew Abigail was Jewish.  The comments were directed at her on that basis.”

The union represents approximately 60,000 employees throughout Northern California. Salazar-Colon did not reply to repeated requests for comment.

City College Chancellor Kimberlee Messina and Board of Trustees president Aliyah Chisti said in a statement that they can not comment on “specific personnel matters” but “the college follows a well-established, industry standard process for responding to complaints.”