The University of California has resolved federal civil rights complaints from students who cited antisemitism and anti-Arab and anti-Muslim discrimination at U.C.L.A. and four other campuses following protests over the Israel-Hamas war, the Education Department announced Friday.
The announcement follows similar agreements that the Education Department’s office of civil rights has made in recent months with other schools and institutions including Brown University, Temple University, the University of Cincinnati and the School District of Philadelphia.
Since the University of California and other universities receive federal funds, they are required to comply with federal regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race and other protected identities.
After the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent invasion of Gaza by Israeli forces, many students at U.C.L.A. said they heard antisemitic chants at pro-Palestinian events, including “no peace until they’re dead,” according to a report by the Education Department after an investigation. The department also said that pro-Palestinian students complained that they had been harassed by other students and members of the public.
In April, at a pro-Palestinian encampment on the U.C.L.A. campus, some Jewish students said they were denied access to occupied areas and campus buildings by pro-Palestinian protesters unless they renounced Zionism, and many Palestinian, Arab and pro-Palestinian students said they were attacked by counterprotesters, the department said.
Similar environments hostile to Jewish, Arab and Muslim students were reported at University of California campuses at Davis, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz, the department said. At UC Santa Barbara, the department said the school had been notified of antisemitic vandalism at a dorm room and signs at a student center targeting some Jewish students.
To resolve the complaints, the University of California agreed to measures that include more thoroughly investigating the reports of discrimination and harassment to determine if additional action is needed; providing more training to university authorities about their responsibilities to comply with federal law prohibiting discrimination; and obtaining approval from the department for any revisions to university policies regarding discrimination involving race, color or nationality.
In a statement after the Education Department’s announcement, the University of California said it “unequivocally rejects antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of harassment and discrimination.” It added that it had taken more steps to support students and others, including creating a systemwide office of civil rights.
The wave of protests at college campuses following Oct. 7 resulted in a litany of legal action against universities and the ouster of some of their leaders, who were accused of failing to protect students from discrimination.
Some institutions, such as New York University, agreed to make payments in addition to reviewing policies to settle legal claims.
U.C.L.A. was among the most active protest sites in the country. In April, U.C.L.A. administrators initially took a relatively tolerant approach to a pro-Palestinian encampment at the school. But after several days, the university’s chancellor, Gene Block, declared the encampment illegal and told demonstrators to leave. On April 30, the campus grew violent when agitators who reportedly self-identified as Zionist assaulted and tried to infiltrate the encampment.
A university report found that the pro-Palestinian students inside the encampment were attacked with “bear mace and other chemical irritants, hammers, knives, stink bombs, high-grade fireworks, baseball bats, metal and wooden rods.”
One counterprotester reportedly had a gun, and protesters said they had pleaded with campus security to intervene. They said the attackers had been allowed to leave without being apprehended when law enforcement stepped in hours later, according to university reports.
On May 2, police officers raided and cleared the encampment, arresting more than 200 protesters.
Last month, an independent investigation report on the events was released and is under review by the university. Its recommendations are largely focused on developing concrete response plans to campus unrest.
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