UCLA ordered by court to develop plan to protect Jewish students

University of California, Los Angeles must develop a plan with Jewish plaintiffs to protect them from anti-Israel and antisemitic encampments and protests in the coming semester, a Western Division California Central District Court ruled on Monday, according to the plaintiff’s representation.

UCLA must consult with the Becket and Clement & Murphy law firms and submit a plan to Judge Mark Scarsi by August 5.

The ruling came in response to a June 5 legal complaint by three Jewish UCLA students against the university regents, arguing that the university had facilitated the establishment of protests and an encampment that restricted movement and endangered the students. The students contended that their Jewish identity prevented them from attending classes properly and prevented them from accessing certain areas of the campus.

“It’s disgusting that a prestigious American university would aid and abet antisemitic agitators who harass and segregate Jewish students,” Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, said in a statement. “UCLA’s behavior needs to change, and we look forward to working out an appropriate plan that protects Jewish students on campus.”

UCLA argued on July 8 that it had attempted to de-escalate tensions on campus and safely dismantle the April 25 encampment. The university said that it had sought to manage the tensions on campus despite pro-Israel counter-protests on April 28 and an attack on the encampment on May 1. Ultimately, the administration had police clear the tents and temporary structures on May 2.

The university contended that it had demonstrated that it was far from indifferent to the problems facing students and that the supposed harm the plaintiffs claimed would manifest in the future was vague. UCLA said it had no policy of denying Jewish students access to campus areas, so addressing the institution for injunctive relief was incorrect.

The students’ representatives said that UCLA had installed encampment barricades and appeased the protesters who had enforced rules that limited access to campus areas based on ideological leanings, such as Zionism. The students said that this effectively excluded Jewish students, denying them equal access to facilities.

In some instances, students were discouraged from approaching the encampment area, they said.

“UCLA tried to force me to choose between being a student or being a Jew,” third-year law student and father of four Yitzchok Frankel said in a statement with the Becket firm. “I appreciate the chance to have my day in court, and I look forward to being able to return to campus safely next month.”

Failure to protect Jewish students

The students accused UCLA of failing to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment for the estimated eight percent of its student body that were Jewish.

The plaintiffs alleged that protests, which emerged soon after the October 7 massacre, featured antisemitic and violent rhetoric and chants. According to the court filing, a claim was made on October 12 that protesters chanted in Arabic, “Slaughter the Jews.”

On November 8, at a Law School protest, some demonstrators allegedly chanted “Death to Israel” and “Death to Jews.” At a Students for Justice in Palestine-led protest the same day, activists beat a pinata bearing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s image, and one of them shouted through a megaphone, “Beat that f**king Jew.”

The filing detailed multiple instances of graffiti with swastikas and curses against Zionists on campus.

On November 10, Chancellor Gene Block denounced the hateful behavior and antisemitic language that had occurred that week on campus.