Federal agencies cite failure to address harassment during pro-Palestine encampment, Justice Department alleges civil rights violations and $6.45M settlement follows
The US federal government has suspended research funding to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) following allegations that the university failed to adequately address antisemitism during a pro-Palestine encampment on campus, according to a student newspaper.
The university's newspaper, the Daily Bruin, reported that UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk confirmed in an email Thursday that federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health notified UCLA of the freeze, citing a US Justice Department letter sent Tuesday to President Michael Drake.
The letter accuses UCLA of violating Title VI of the US Civil Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, alleging the university neglected to respond to antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish and Israeli students.
"This is not only a loss to the researchers who rely on critical grants," said Frenk. "It is a loss for Americans across the nation whose work, health, and future depend on the groundbreaking work we do."
The funding cut follows a $6.45 million settlement UCLA reached this week with three Jewish students and a professor, who alleged the school allowed a "Jew Exclusion Zone" around the Palestine solidarity encampment established on April 25 in Dickson Plaza.
The Justice Department previously backed the plaintiffs in March, claiming UCLA had tried to "evade liability."
"This is about our national priorities," Frenk stated. "Federal research grants are not handouts. Our researchers compete fiercely... proposing work the government itself deems vital."
The state’s University of California system has not issued a comment. UCLA says it is weighing its next steps and coordinating with the UC Board of Regents.
Pro-Palestinian activists have claimed the Trump administration is targeting their right to free speech by equating opposition to Zionism with antisemitism.
