Justice Department Sues UCLA Over Alleged Failure to Protect Jewish Employees from Campus Hostility

The lawsuit claims the university did not discipline students involved in pro-Palestinian protests that included antisemitic harassment.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the University of California over allegations that UCLA failed to protect Jewish employees from antisemitic harassment during pro-Palestinian protests on campus in 2023 and 2024. The lawsuit claims UCLA violated its own policies by tolerating a protest encampment that blocked Jewish employees and students from parts of campus and included antisemitic signs and chants, and that the university failed to discipline any students, faculty or staff over the antisemitic behavior.

Why it matters

This lawsuit is the latest escalation in the Trump administration's campaign to punish top universities it accuses of being soft on antisemitism. The case highlights ongoing tensions between pro-Palestinian activism and concerns about antisemitism on college campuses.

The details

The Justice Department lawsuit alleges the harm to Jewish and Israeli employees at UCLA "goes much deeper" than a previous $6 million settlement with three Jewish students and a Jewish professor who sued the university. The complaint focuses on a 2024 protest encampment that federal officials say blocked Jewish employees and students from parts of campus and included antisemitic signs and chants. The suit accuses UCLA of violating its own policies by tolerating the encampment and failing to discipline any students, faculty or staff over antisemitic behavior.

  • The pro-Palestinian protests that are the focus of the lawsuit occurred in 2023 and 2024.
  • The Justice Department filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

The players

University of California

The public university system that includes UCLA as one of its campuses.

UCLA

The University of California, Los Angeles, one of the top public research universities in the United States.

Trump administration

The former presidential administration of Donald Trump, which has targeted elite universities it accuses of liberal and antisemitic bias.

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What’s next

The lawsuit asks a judge to force UCLA to enforce its own anti-discrimination policies and to award damages to Jewish employees at UCLA who faced a hostile work environment.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between pro-Palestinian activism and concerns about antisemitism on college campuses, as well as the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on what it sees as liberal bias at top universities.