UCLA accused of ‘blaming the victims’ for its defense against anti-Semitism suit
Becket Law filed a federal lawsuit against UCLA on June 5, alleging the university allowed widespread anti-Semitism on campus.
UCLA responded by asserting that they took necessary actions against pro-Palestine demonstrations, while Becket accused the university of failing to protect Jewish students and blamed them for the harassment.
The University of California, Los Angeles has responded to a lawsuit accusing the school of allowing widespread anti-semitism by allegedly “blaming the victims,” a law firm claimed.
Becket Law filed the suit on June 5, alleging that administrators failed to adequately protect Jewish students on campus in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack against Israel and the subsequent surge in anti-Semitism at American institutions of higher education.
The case is Frankel v. Regents of the University of California. As Campus Reform has previously reported, the students’ lawsuit was originally filed on June 5.
In a July 8 memorandum responding to the allegations of the plaintiffs, attorneys for the University of California Board of Regents claimed that the university administration effectively halted the wave of pro-Palestine demonstrations that threatened its campus during the spring 2024 semester.
“When tents were erected at the heart of the UCLA campus in the early morning hours of April 25, UCLA faced a volatile and challenging situation,” the memorandum states. “The encampment in Royce Quad had to be disbanded; the harder question was how to do so safely.”
The Board of Regents asserted in its response to the lawsuit that UCLA was slow to remove the encampment partly due to its scale and enlisted law enforcement where necessary to ensure that it was eventually taken down.
“Violence broke out while UCLA attempted de-escalation, and UCLA had to enlist the aid of law enforcement to clear the Quad—a process that took several days because of the encampment’s size,” the memorandum details.
The statement explains that UCLA “has created a new Office of Campus Safety” to prepare for protests in the fall and has, since May, “successfully prevented three efforts to occupy parts of campus.”
However, Becket Law, the group representing the plaintiffs, argued in response to the defendants’ memorandum that the blame for allowing discrimination against Jewish students lies on the university administration.
“In the end, UCLA has nobody to blame but itself for the harassment, assault, and segregation of Jewish students on its campus,” said Mark Rienzi, president of Becket on July 10. “Now the university is scrambling to defend its actions and cover up its gross failure of leadership. It won’t work—UCLA will answer in court for the rampant antisemitism it allows and assists.”
“No student in America should have to worry that they will be segregated from their peers and targeted for their faith,” Rienzi continued. “And no school in America should get away with blaming the victims. The court must hold the university accountable for its reprehensible actions and protect Jewish students before the fall semester begins.”
A hearing is currently scheduled for this case on July 29, 2024.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of California, Los Angeles for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
