Department of Justice Initiates University of California Antisemitism Investigation

The U.S. Department of Justice announced late on Wednesday that they are launching an antisemitism investigation into the University of California (UC).

According to the announcement, the DOJ Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism will look into allegations of antisemitism that occurred during the Israel-Hamas War protests on several UC campuses in the spring of 2024. Specifically, the investigation will assess whether UC has engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, religion and national origin against its professors, staff and other employees by allowing an Antisemitic hostile work environment to exist on its campuses. In addition, the DOJ noted that the investigation will take place under the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“This Department of Justice will always defend Jewish Americans, protect civil rights, and leverage our resources to eradicate institutional Antisemitism in our nation’s universities,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks in Israel, there has been an outbreak of antisemitic incidents at leading institutions of higher education in America, including at my own alma mater at the UCLA campus of UC,” added Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell. “The impact upon UC’s students has been the subject of considerable media attention and multiple federal investigations. But these campuses are also workplaces, and the Jewish faculty and staff employed there deserve a working environment free of antisemitic hostility and hate. The President, the Attorney General and this Task Force are committed to combatting antisemitism for all Jewish Americans.”

For the past few years, UC campuses have seen a spike in antisemitism, with the rise attributed primarily to the Israel-Hamas War. In November 2023, UC Berkeley was sued over a growing amount of antisemitism on campus by several Jewish groups. Troubles at UC Berkeley compounded into March 2024, when the U.S. Congress probed the University because of the worryingly amount of antisemitism on campus.

Then came the mass protests on UC campuses, as well as other Californian university campuses, in the Spring of 2024. Between late April and Early June of last year, several pro-Palestine, pro-Hamas protests and encampments turned into mass arrest events in California. On UC campuses specifically, the numbers were staggering. 210 arrested at UCLA. 65 at UC San Diego. 50 at UC Irvine. 80 at UC Santa Cruz. At each protest and encampment, antisemitic chants were recorded, antisemitic graffiti was seen sprayed and actions against Jewish students, like blocking them from class, rose.

While UC did wind up suspending and removing many students as a result of the protests, and made rules to prevent such large-scale encampments from happening again, a perceived inaction on all the anti-Jewish behavior was noted. There was some movement on punishing campuses. In August 2024, a federal district court held UCLA accountable for all antisemitic behavior on campus. In January of this year, President Donald Trump issued a new executive order to combat antisemitism by greenlighting possible deportations for international students in California who participated in pro-Palestinian protests on campuses last year. This was then followed up earlier this week when the President said he would pull funding from any school that continues to have illegal protests.

“All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests,” said Trump on Truth Social. “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS!”

Yet antisemitism on campuses has persisted. Recently, UC Davis was found to be one of the most antisemitic campuses in the country, with over 80% of students experiencing antisemitism of some form. With the UC system still having so many issues, the DOJ launched their investigation on Wednesday.

The University of California Office of the President responded swiftly to the announcement on Wednesday, saying that they actively combat antisemitism and protect civil rights.

“We were recently notified of the Department of Justice’s decision to initiate a civil rights investigation in the University of California system,” explained the University of California Office of the President. “We want to be clear: the University of California is unwavering in its commitment to combating antisemitism and protecting everyone’s civil rights. We continue to take specific steps to foster an environment free of harassment and discrimination for everyone in the university community.”

However, students who were discriminated against in the past few years welcomed the news.

“I feel defended,” said Sarah, a Jewish UCLA student who faced antisemitism on campus last year. “We had to stay in our rooms during the protests last year because we were afraid of what might happen to us. You had all these people shouting that they wanted to see Israel gone and us dead. And campus and UC leadership did nothing for days before the cops were called in. Biden did nothing too.

“Two years ago, if you asked me if there would be a situation in which I would express approval for Trump and shame UCLA, I would have thought you were crazy. But actions speak louder than words. Trump put all these protections in while UC seems to be defending those protestors instead still.

“I hope this [DOJ] investigation brings big changes on campus. You can’t have hate and threats like that on college campuses. And I think the [DOJ] will find a lot of antisemitic behavior.”