University of California campuses resolve discrimination complaints stemming from Gaza protests
The U.S. Department of Education said Friday it has reached an agreement with the University of California system to resolve complaints from Jewish and Muslim students about discrimination and harassment during protests last spring about the war in Gaza.
The department’s Office for Civil Rights said it has investigated nine complaints against schools at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Santa Barbara, San Diego, Davis and Santa Cruz. The complaints alleged that the schools failed to respond effectively to anti-Semitic and anti-Arab harassment.
The Civil Rights Office concluded that universities “do not appear to have responded promptly or effectively” to allegations of discrimination and harassment brought to the governments’ attention.
Under the agreement, the schools must increase reporting of complaints to the OCR office and review all complaints and reports of harassment from the past two academic years to determine if further action is necessary. The agreement also calls for more training for university employees and campus police officers on their obligations under federal law.
The University of California system said the agreement is one of many steps it is taking to ensure its campuses are respectful and welcoming to all.
“Ensuring an inclusive university environment requires sustained focus and action,” the system said in a written statement.
Colleges and universities across the country saw tensions and sometimes violence outbreaks on campuses after the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, with dueling campus rallies and widespread accusations of anti-Semitism and anti-Arab intimidation.
The Department of Education has investigated dozens of complaints that campuses have violated Title VI, which prohibits discrimination or harassment based on race, color and national origin at colleges and universities that receive federal funding. Examples of harassment can include insults, taunts, stereotypes, name-calling and racially motivated attacks or hateful conduct, according to the department’s website.
The department achieved a similar result agreement with Brown University in July.
A separate investigation found that the University of Cincinnati failed to respond appropriately to reports of harassment, the Office of Civil Rights said Friday. Examples of about two dozen complaints include a Palestinian student who reported receiving death threats, which the university did not investigate, and an anonymous complaint that a Jewish student’s home was smeared and smeared with feces.
The University of Cincinnati said in a statement that it will review its policies and previously filed complaints and take steps “to practically strengthen ongoing efforts to prevent discrimination and harassment.” The university said it investigated the complaint of vandalism at the Jewish student’s home, which was filed directly with the federal office, but found no reports or evidence of the incident.
UCLAs deal with spreading his encampment in the spring received a lot of criticism. Chaos broke out after hundreds of protesters ignored campus police orders to leave the camp. One night, counter-protesters attacked the pro-Palestinian encampment, throwing traffic cones and firing pepper spray, with fighting lasting for hours before police intervened.
The investigation into UCLA stemmed in part from compliance concerns related to about 150 reports the school received about gatherings in October and November 2023, as well as a pro-Palestinian encampment in the spring, the department said.
“Of particular concern were reports of violence against students of Jewish descent … and of a violent attack by counter-protesters on pro-Palestinian demonstrators” in the encampment, the department said.
At rallies, demonstrators chanted “death to Israel” and “no peace until they are dead,” the department said. At the camp, protesters held checkpoints that excluded Jewish students from the protest area and parts of campus, prompting the school’s chancellor to issue a statement saying that Jewish students on campus, among others, were in “a state of fear and anxiety ” felt.
Muslim and Palestinian students have experienced “unwanted filming, doxing and being followed” on or near the UCLA campus, the department said. A task force report cited by the department said counter-protesters harassed people in the camp, saying things like, “you are a jihadist” and “you are a terrorist.”
The four other UC campuses also had “widely reported incidents” of alleged harassment of students, the civil rights office said. UC Santa Barbara was notified of anti-Semitic vandalism at a dorm and signs were posted at a student center targeting Jewish students by name; UC San Diego and UC Davis also received complaints about students experiencing or witnessing anti-Semitic comments or actions from students and professors.
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