The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against UCLA. The suit alleges the university failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination and violence during a 2024 protest. It claims that agitators targeted the students, using physical force and pepper spray against them.
Human rights attorney Brooke Goldstein discusses the political dimensions of antisemitism. University campuses have been central to discussions about antisemitism since the onset of the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict. The protests and encampments during this period brought renewed focus to universities.
Allegations Against Faculty
An Anti-Defamation League (ADL) report reveals that antisemitism extends beyond student protests. It indicates faculty and curriculums are involved. Some professors and teaching assistants have allegedly integrated anti-Israel activism into their courses. Allegations include offering extra credit for attending anti-Israel events and singling out Jewish and Israeli students in classrooms.
The ADL highlights the difficulty of observing these dynamics due to the opacity of academic spaces.
In January 2025, the ADL collaborated with Hillel International and College Pulse on a report. It states that 27.3% of Jewish students have observed antisemitic behavior by faculty. Such exposure correlates with perceptions of a hostile campus environment.
Faculty Behavior and Curriculum
The report describes various methods through which anti-Israel sentiments manifest in academia. These include course content, political activism, and specific interactions with students. For example, there are reports that some faculty members canceled classes to attend anti-Israel protests. The ADL claims that at the University of California, Berkeley, students might have received extra credit for participating in pro-Palestine lectures.
UC Berkeley’s Assistant Vice Chancellor Dan Mogulof refuted such accounts. He stated that no records exist of extra credit being given for the event in question.
Notable Incidents
The ADL provided more examples from the University of California system. In October 2023, a teaching assistant at UC Berkeley offered extra credit for an anti-Israel walkout. The incident circulated widely on social media. UC Berkeley addressed this by citing policies against political indoctrination.
Other alleged incidents occurred at UCLA. Reports emerged of teaching assistants offering extra credit for attending sessions like the “Emergency Teach-in on the Crisis in Palestine.” These incidents further fueled allegations of faculty involvement in targeting Jewish students.
Similar Dynamics at Other Universities
The ADL also cited examples from Columbia University. In one case, an instructor allegedly pointed to an Israeli student during a discussion on colonialism. Another instructor reportedly accused a student with Israeli Defense Forces experience of being a murderer. A Jewish student, not from Israel, was allegedly told that it was a shame their people survived to commit genocide.
In response, Columbia University emphasized ongoing efforts to counter antisemitism. The university aims to enhance reporting mechanisms and ensure non-discriminatory protest policies.
Columbia has committed to working alongside Jewish organizations like Hillel and Chabad. The goal is to improve the campus environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff.
Faculty Impact on Antisemitism
The ADL warns that antisemitic actions by faculty have significant impact. Professors hold substantial power, and their actions can worsen the campus climate. The ADL advocates for comprehensive measures from universities to combat antisemitism. The organization calls for environments that ensure safety for all students.