Federal authorities have launched civil rights investigations into five
California campuses � UCLA, UC San Diego, Stanford, San Diego State and
Santa Monica College � since the Israel-Hamas war erupted two months ago,
but it is not known how many may involve allegations of antisemitism or
harassment against Arabs and Muslims.

At least one university, San Diego State, said the complaint triggering
the federal action involved a June 2023 incident that �is in no way
related to the Israel-Hamas War or any dispute between Israelis and
Palestinians.� The campus, in an email, declined to share further
information, citing privacy rights of those involved.

The California campuses are the latest to draw the scrutiny of the U.S.
Department of Education�s Office of Civil Rights, which released an
initial list of seven colleges and K-12 schools under investigation on
Nov. 16. Federal education officials at the time called it part of
�aggressive action to address the alarming nationwide rise in reports of
antisemitism, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and other forms of discrimination
and harassment.�

Five of the November cases on the initial list involved complaints of
antisemitism and two involved charges of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab
harassment, education officials said then.

An Education Department spokesperson declined Thursday to specify the
nature of the complaints against the California campuses.

UCLA, UC San Diego and Stanford issued statements this week pledging full
cooperation with federal authorities and reiterating their commitment to
inclusive campus environments free of harassment and discrimination. They
declined to provide further details of the basis for the investigations.

Santa Monica College said the complaint that triggered the federal action
involved the failure of a student government council to install �Students
Supporting Israel at SMC� as a campus club in October. The college said it
promptly intervened to resolve the issue, demonstrating �the college�s
commitment to a discrimination-free environment for all students.�

Colleges and universities nationwide have erupted in acrimony and tension
since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war, with dueling campus rallies,
protest letters and widespread allegations of antisemitism, Islamophobia
and anti-Arab harassment.

On Oct. 7, Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people
and taking some 240 hostage, according to the Israeli government. Israel�s
bombardment and ground war in Hamas-ruled Gaza has killed more than 18,000
people, according to health authorities in the Palestinian territory, and
set off a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The United Nations estimates the
war has displaced 85% of Gaza�s 2.3 million residents.

The Anti-Defamation League reported this week that it recorded 400
antisemitic incidents on college and university campuses between Oct. 7
and Dec. 7, compared with 33 incidents during the same period in 2022.
Overall, the New York-based nonprofit recorded 2,031 antisemitic incidents
during that period �including 40 cases of physical assaults � up from 465
the year before. The ADL included 905 campus rallies in the overall count,
saying they involved �antisemitic rhetoric, expressions of support for
terrorism against the state of Israel and/or anti-Zionism.�

Palestine Legal, a Chicago-based nonprofit, has seen a tenfold increase in
campus requests for help since the Israel-Hamas war began. The
organization, which provides legal assistance in support of the
Palestinian solidarity movement, received 449 requests for aid between
Oct. 7 and Dec. 13 this year, compared with 40 requests last year.

The Department of Education will investigate whether the campuses violated
Title VI, which requires colleges, universities and K-12 schools that
receive federal funding to provide all students �a school environment free
from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, including
shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.�

Such harassment can include slurs, taunts, stereotypes, or name-calling,
as well as racially motivated physical threats, attacks or other hateful
conduct, according to the Education Department website. Although the
federal laws don�t expressly address religious discrimination, civil
rights officials can investigate harassment of students with Jewish,
Muslim, Hindu and other faith backgrounds if they are subjected to �ethnic
or ancestral slurs,� stereotypes based on perceived shared ancestry or
ethnicity or appearance or behavior linked to their backgrounds.

Although campus officials have been challenged by conflicts over free
speech and offensive conduct, federal officials say schools are obligated
to respond to allegations of discriminatory harassment involving speech if
it contributes to a �hostile environment.� Possible interventions include
publicly rejecting stereotypical or derogatory opinions and ensuring that
competing views are heard.

Schools that violate the law and refuse to address the problems can
ultimately lose federal funding or be referred to the U.S. Department of
Justice for further action.

Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary of Education for civil rights,
said in a statement last month that it was releasing the names of
institutions under investigation for transparency and public awareness,
and that �a school�s appearance on this list does not reflect a conclusion
that the law has been violated.�

Other universities and colleges under investigation for possible Title VI
violations include Cornell, Columbia, Harvard, Wellesley, University of
Pennsylvania, University of Washington, Tulane, Oberlin and Rutgers.

In a statement, UCLA urged anyone experiencing harassment or
discrimination to immediately report it to UCLA�s EDI Civil Rights Office.
�UCLA is committed to maintaining an inclusive and supportive environment
for all students, faculty and staff,� the campus said.

UC San Diego, saying it �takes all allegations of discrimination
seriously,� also asked that those experiencing such treatment report it to
the campus Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination at
ophd@ucsd.edu or ReportBias.ucsd.edu.

Stanford, for its part, said it was �fully committed to a campus
environment free of discrimination and harassment, and one in which
students of all backgrounds, national origins, and religions are supported
and have the opportunity to thrive.�

Santa Monica College said its Board of Trustees passed a resolution on
Nov. 7 in support of United Against Hate week, which acknowledged the
increases in �anti-semitism amid other ongoing acts of hate and
discrimination against marginalized groups throughout the nation.�

Times staff writer Debbie Truong contributed to this report.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-14/federal-civil-rights-
probes-launched-into-ucla-uc-san-diego-and-other-california-campuses