In a landmark legal victory, UCLA will pay $6.13 million and face a permanent federal court order after a lawsuit exposed shocking antisemitic discrimination during 2024 campus protests
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has agreed to a record-breaking $6.13 million settlement and a permanent federal injunction after being accused of enabling open antisemitic discrimination during last year’s explosive pro-Palestinian campus protests.
The lawsuit — Frankel v. Regents of the University of California — claimed UCLA allowed protestors to create a so‑called “Jew Exclusion Zone” in 2024, barring Jewish students and faculty from classrooms, libraries, and public spaces while campus officials stood by.
According to the plaintiffs, university administrators not only failed to intervene but protected the perpetrators, allowing an atmosphere where antisemitic intimidation flourished unchecked. Among reported incidents:
- Swastikas drawn in classrooms
- Hateful slogans like “Israelis are native 2 hell” scrawled on walls
- Physical assaults on Jewish students and staff
A federal judge had already granted emergency relief last summer, forcing UCLA to guarantee Jewish students free movement across campus. Tuesday’s settlement makes that injunction permanent.
Lead plaintiff Yitzchok Frankel, a recent UCLA Law graduate, didn’t mince words:
“When antisemites were terrorizing Jews and excluding them from campus, UCLA chose to protect the thugs. That was shameful — but today’s court judgment brings justice back to our campus.”
Under the settlement, UCLA will:
- Pay $6.13 million in total — the largest private settlement in a campus antisemitism case.
- Allocate $2.33 million to Jewish and antisemitism-focused groups, including Hillel at UCLA, the ADL, and the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles.
- Contribute $320,000 to its Initiative to Combat Antisemitism, launched earlier this year by new Chancellor Julio Frenk.
The case marks a watershed moment in campus antisemitism accountability, following Columbia University’s recent $200 million federal settlement over similar allegations.
UC Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly called the deal an extension of systemwide efforts to fight antisemitism:
“Antisemitism, harassment, and other forms of intimidation are antithetical to our values… this settlement reflects a critically important goal we share with the plaintiffs.”
Jewish leaders welcomed the ruling but warned the fight isn’t over. Daniel Gold, executive director of Hillel at UCLA, said:
“This is a meaningful step forward, but there’s much more work to be done to ensure UCLA is free from antisemitic harassment and intimidation.”
Becket president Mark Rienzi, whose firm backed the plaintiffs, said the message to university leaders nationwide is clear:
“Treating Jews like second-class citizens is wrong, illegal — and now, very costly.”
