The Justice Department has sued the University of California, Los Angeles, accusing the school of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students during months of anti-Israel protests and campus unrest.
The 53-page complaint alleges that UCLA allowed a hostile educational environment to develop during protest activity that followed Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.
Federal prosecutors claim the university violated Title VI civil rights protections by showing “deliberate indifference” to antisemitic harassment and discrimination.
The lawsuit argues that Jewish students were blocked from parts of campus, threatened, harassed and, in some cases, physically assaulted during protest activity.
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DOJ said UCLA’s handling of the spring 2024 encampment was central to the case.
The encampment formed on campus in late April 2024 as anti-Israel protests spread across universities nationwide.
According to the complaint, protesters created barriers and human chains that prevented some Jewish students from accessing campus buildings and other areas unless they agreed with the protesters’ anti-Israel demands.
The lawsuit also alleges that one Jewish student was kicked to the ground and knocked unconscious.
Police cleared the encampment on May 2, 2024, after days of tension and clashes between protesters and law enforcement.
The Justice Department said UCLA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion office ignored more than 100 complaints involving alleged antisemitic harassment.
The complaint alleges those incidents included students being blocked from buildings, beaten, pepper-sprayed and struck with sticks.
DOJ also cited UCLA’s own task force findings, which reportedly concluded that campus leadership repeatedly failed to enforce federal law, state law and university rules during the 2023-2024 academic year.
The lawsuit argues that those failures left Jewish students vulnerable and interfered with their ability to participate fully in campus life.
A poll cited in the complaint found that a majority of Jewish students said they spent less time on campus because of antisemitism or anti-Israel bias, while many said they considered leaving the school.
The Trump administration says the lawsuit is part of a broader effort to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses.
The case could put UCLA’s federal funding at risk if the government proves the university violated Title VI.
UCLA has previously faced scrutiny over its handling of anti-Israel protests, including a separate Justice Department case filed earlier this year involving allegations of discrimination against Jewish and Israeli employees.
The university has not immediately responded to the latest complaint.
The lawsuit comes amid a continuing national debate over campus protest rights, antisemitism, free speech and the responsibility of universities to protect students during politically charged demonstrations.
Supporters of the DOJ action say universities must enforce rules equally and protect Jewish students from harassment and exclusion.
Critics may argue that federal investigations into campus protests risk chilling political speech if not handled carefully.
The case now moves to federal court, where UCLA will have to respond to the government’s allegations.
Why It Matters
The lawsuit could become one of the most significant federal actions involving campus antisemitism since the wave of anti-Israel encampments began. It also raises major questions about whether universities can lose federal funding if they fail to protect Jewish students under Title VI.
What Comes Next
UCLA is expected to respond in court. The Justice Department may seek penalties, policy changes or restitution if it proves the university violated federal civil rights law.
UCLA allowed antisemitic mobs to harass Jewish students and disrupt daily life on campus. University leaders utterly failed to prevent this chaos. Republicans said: enough is enough. The Trump administration is doing the right thing by holding @UCLA accountable for permitting… pic.twitter.com/mNL5td1UeJ
— House Committee on Education & Workforce (@EdWorkforceCmte) May 27, 2026
