In Frankel v. Regents of the University of California, Becket and co-counsel Clement & Murphy PLLC filed a lawsuit against UCLA after it helped a group of activists as they set up encampments where they harassed Jewish students and stopped them from accessing classes, the library, and other critical parts of campus. UCLA reinforced these zones—both by providing metal barriers and by sending away Jewish students—while taking no effective action to ensure safe passage for Jewish students. In response, UCLA disavowed any obligation to protect its Jewish students, and claimed that Jewish students have nothing to fear when classes begin again in the fall.
On August 13, the court agreed with the students, saying, “In the year 2024, in the United States of America, in the State of California, in the City of Los Angeles, Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith. This fact is so unimaginable and so abhorrent to our constitutional guarantee of religious freedom that it bears repeating, Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith. UCLA does not dispute this. Instead, UCLA claims that it has no responsibility to protect the religious freedom of its Jewish students because the exclusion was engineered by third-party protesters. But under constitutional principles, UCLA may not allow services to some students when UCLA knows that other students are excluded on religious grounds, regardless of who engineered the exclusion.”
“Shame on UCLA for letting antisemitic thugs terrorize Jews on campus,” said Mark Rienzi, director of Catholic Law's Center for Religious Liberty and an attorney for the students. “Today’s ruling says that UCLA’s policy of helping antisemitic activists target Jews is not just morally wrong but a gross constitutional violation. UCLA should stop fighting the Constitution and start protecting Jews on campus.” Professor Rienzi is also the president of Becket.
Today’s injunction is the first in the nation against a university for allowing an antisemitic encampment.
The ruling goes into force on August 15. UCLA is expected to appeal the ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Other press coverage of the ruling can be found here:
- Washinton Times
Federal judge orders UCLA to end ‘abhorrent’ discrimination against Jewish students: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/aug/13/judge-mark-scarsi-ucla-must-end-abhorrent-discrimi/ - Los Angeles Times
Judge orders UCLA to ensure equal campus access to Jewish students after pro-Palestinian protests: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-08-13/judge-orders-ucla-to-give-jewish-students-equal-access-after-pro-palestinian-protests;