Federal judge rules that Jewish groups can pursue legal action against the University of California, Berkeley, over claims of antisemitic discrimination and harassment on campus. The lawsuit alleges that UC Berkeley officials were indifferent to the hostile environment faced by Jewish students and faculty.
A US federal judge has ruled that two Jewish advocacy organizations may proceed with a lawsuit against the University of California, Berkeley, accusing the institution of permitting persistent antisemitic harassment of Jewish students and faculty, Reuters reported.
In a decision disclosed on Tuesday, US District Judge James Donato determined that the plaintiffs—Louis D. Brandeis Center and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education—presented a credible argument that Jewish students and professors faced discrimination at UC Berkeley.
The lawsuit, filed in November of 2023, names multiple university officials, including UC President Michael Drake and former UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ, alleging that they failed to address a hostile environment on campus.
Donato found that the plaintiffs raised legitimate claims under equal protection, free exercise of religion, and civil rights statutes, asserting that the university was “deliberately indifferent” to acts of antisemitic harassment. However, he dismissed a claim based on contract law.
The lawsuit emerges amid mounting concerns about antisemitism at major American universities, particularly in the wake of Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Several institutions, including UC Berkeley, have faced accusations of failing to adequately address antisemitic incidents on their campuses.
In February, the Education Department announced new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five US universities, including UC Berkeley.
