Faculty Group Argued Protest Wasn’t Antisemitic; Judge Approval Still Pending
UCLA will pay more than $6 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the university of enabling discrimination against Jewish students and faculty during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus last year, officials announced Tuesday. This agreement would be subject to the approval of U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi, and it would remain in force for 15 years.
The settlement resolves a complaint filed in June 2024 by two law students and one undergraduate who alleged they were physically blocked from accessing campus facilities, including classrooms and the library, by participants in a pro-Palestinian encampment.
The group, Faculty for Justice in Palestine, at UCLA filed an amicus brief opposing the plaintiffs’ original request for an injunction that the encampment was not antisemitic. The brief noted that Jewish people were part of the encampment and that protesters held Seder and Shabbat ceremonies in the encampment, as reported by the Daily Bruin.
The lawsuit claimed the university not only allowed the encampment to form but also reinforced its perimeter with metal barriers and failed to intervene as protesters restricted access for Jewish individuals.
According to court filings, the plaintiffs stated that UCLA took no effective action to ensure their safety and, at times, directed them away from the encampment instead of upholding their right to access the campus. The university initially denied having a legal duty to protect Jewish students in that context, the complaint noted.
Under the terms of the agreement, UCLA will pay $6.13 million. That includes monetary damages to the individual plaintiffs, $2.33 million in donations to eight Jewish organizations, and attorneys’ fees and costs.
