U.S. Justice Department sues UCLA February 24 2026 for Title VII violations, alleging failure to stop antisemitic harassment creating hostile work environment for Jewish and Israeli employees at Los Angeles campus.
DOJ Sues UCLA Over Alleged Pervasive Antisemitic Workplace:
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a sweeping civil rights lawsuit Tuesday against the Regents of the University of California, alleging that UCLA allowed a severe and pervasive antisemitic hostile work environment to flourish for Jewish and Israeli employees in violation of federal law.
The 81-page complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, claims university administrators repeatedly ignored complaints, failed to enforce policies, and at times facilitated harassment following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. It marks a major escalation in the Trump administration’s scrutiny of elite universities on antisemitism.
The suit seeks court-ordered reforms, mandatory training, stronger enforcement of anti-discrimination rules, and monetary damages for affected employees-including two named professors who say they endured repeated threats and retaliation.
UCLA Accused of Ignoring Antisemitic Harassment of Employees:
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division alleges UCLA turned a “blind eye” to repeated acts of antisemitism that made Jewish and Israeli employees fear for their safety on campus. Specific claims include:
- A week-long illegal encampment in front of Royce Hall in spring 2024 where protesters barred Jews from portions of the main quad, assaulted at least two Jewish professors, and scrawled swastikas on buildings.
- Classrooms disrupted, offices papered with antisemitic images, and colleagues or supervisors joining in ostracism or failing to report incidents.
- Swastikas carved into trees, chalkboards, and walls; signs reading “kill the Jews,” “die you fucking Jew,” and Nazi comparisons.
- Jewish employees forced to take medical leave, work remotely, or resign to escape the environment.
The lawsuit highlights UCLA’s own October 2024 Antisemitism Task Force report, which concluded the university’s failures created a hostile work environment under Title VII. Despite “hundreds” of complaints, the suit says not a single perpetrator faced meaningful discipline until external pressure mounted. The university’s anti-discrimination policies were poorly designed, staff untrained on reporting requirements, and complaints often closed without investigation.
The case originated from an EEOC Commissioner’s Charge in June 2024 and a DOJ investigation opened in March 2025. It names two charging parties-Professor Ian Holloway of the Luskin School of Public Affairs and Professor Kamran Shamsa of the David Geffen School of Medicine-along with other aggrieved employees.
UCLA Faces DOJ Scrutiny Amid Rising Campus Antisemitism:
Antisemitism complaints surged on U.S. campuses after the October 7, 2023 attacks that killed more than 1,200 Israelis and triggered Israel’s war in Gaza. UCLA became a flashpoint, with pro-Palestinian encampments, building occupations, and clashes that led to dozens of arrests in 2024.
This is not UCLA’s first legal reckoning. In 2025 the university settled a separate lawsuit with Jewish students and a professor for $6 million, admitting it had “fallen short” in protecting students. The DOJ previously found Title VI violations regarding students and attempted to impose more than $1 billion in funding conditions.
The new lawsuit shifts focus to employees under Title VII, which prohibits workplace discrimination. It arrives amid broader Trump administration efforts to pressure universities on campus antisemitism, including funding reviews and policy demands at institutions nationwide.
UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk-whose Jewish father and grandparents fled Nazi Germany-launched an Initiative to Combat Antisemitism in March 2025, citing recommendations from the university’s task force. The campus reorganized its civil rights office, hired a dedicated Title VII officer, added a senior safety position, and strengthened protest rules.