The U.S. Justice Department will investigate the University of California over claims the university system allowed an “antisemitic hostile work environment” on its campuses, the department announced Wednesday.
“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 Pamela Bondi in a statement.
UC said in a statement Wednesday that it was recently notified of the department’s civil rights investigation.
“We want to be clear: the University of California is unwavering in its commitment to combating antisemitism and protecting everyone’s civil rights,” the university said. “We continue to take specific steps to foster an environment free of harassment and discrimination for everyone in the university community.”
The department’s investigation by the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism comes as the UC system has faced several complaints and investigations over concerns of the treatment of Jewish students on its campuses.
Nearly a year ago, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce launched an investigation into UC Berkeley’s handling of antisemitic incidents on campus — specifically a Pro-Palestine protest which led to a Jewish student event being evacuated over safety concerns after protesters broke open a door to the building and shattered a window.
And in December, under the Biden Administration, UC reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to resolve nine open investigations over anti-Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Palestinian and Arab discrimination allegations.
Jewish leaders have called the Bay Area a “flashpoint” for antisemitism as tensions over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza have sparked protests on college campuses across the state and country — including UC Berkeley — resulting in students’ arrests and clashes with police.
Leo Terrell, leading task force member and senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights, said in a statement Wednesday that the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel have led to an “outbreak of antisemitic incidents” at higher education institutions throughout the country, including the University of California.
“The impact upon UC’s students has been the subject of considerable media attention and multiple federal investigations,” Terrell continued. “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 Justice Department’s employment discrimination investigation will be conducted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex and religion. Under Title VII, the Justice Department has the authority to initiate investigations against state and local government employers where it has reason to believe that a “pattern or practice” of employment discrimination exists, the department said.UC launched a Systemwide Office of Civil Rights and anti-discrimination policy last year under direction from UC President Michael Drake.
Drake also urged leaders at UC’s 10 campuses at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year to crack down on protest encampments and prohibit students from restricting or blocking access to campus buildings.
The UC Board of Regents, which oversees the system, voted in the summer to ban employees from posting political statements on the homepages of university websites, which students and faculty have called a restriction on free speech. Political statements and personal opinions are allowed on secondary pages as long as they include a disclaimer that the opinions do not represent UC’s official view.