Two Jewish advocacy organizations, the Louis D. Brandeis Center and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, have filed a federal complaint against the University of California, Berkeley, citing a long-standing spread of anti-Semitism on campus. The complaint, originally filed in November and later amended in May, accuses the university of tolerating anti-Semitic behavior and failing to enforce its anti-discrimination policies. The complaint includes incidents from antiwar protests, such as the disruption of a speech by a former member of the Israeli military, which turned violent with Jewish students being physically attacked and intimidated.
The amended complaint also alleges that UC Berkeley failed to address an allegedly anti-Semitic campaign against its law school dean, Erwin Chemerinsky. In March, after Chemerinsky, who is Jewish, invited graduating law students to dinner at his home, a group opposing the war in Gaza posted a caricature of him on its Instagram account. The caricature depicted him as holding a fork and knife with the words “No Dinner with Zionist Chem While Gaza Starves” encircling him. Members of the student group Berkeley Law for Palestine denied targeting Chemerinsky because of his faith, instead claiming that they were protesting the administration’s ties to Israeli companies involved in military operations in Gaza.
The lawsuit claims that the university’s failure to address these incidents of anti-Semitism creates an unsafe environment for Jewish students and faculty, many of whom have a strong connection to the State of Israel as part of their Jewish identity. The Brandeis Center stated that excluding Zionists effectively excludes Jews, highlighting the importance of ensuring a safe and welcoming campus for all students. University officials released a statement condemning the violence that occurred during the February protest and pledged to investigate the incident.
The complaint also raises concerns about a Title IX discrimination investigation initiated against Chemerinsky’s wife, who is accused of Islamophobia after confronting a Muslim student who attempted to deliver a pro-Palestinian speech at one of the dean’s dinners. The investigation into this alleged incident is ongoing, and Chemerinsky referred inquiries about the lawsuit to the university’s spokesperson. UC Berkeley’s spokesperson, Dan Mogulof, stated that the university takes accusations of discrimination seriously and has implemented anti-Semitism initiatives in recent years to address concerns about the treatment of Jewish students on campus.
Overall, the lawsuit against UC Berkeley highlights concerns about the university’s handling of anti-Semitic incidents on campus and its failure to enforce anti-discrimination policies effectively. The inclusion of incidents from antiwar protests and the alleged targeting of the law school dean for his ties to Israel further illustrate the challenges faced by Jewish students and faculty. The ongoing investigations into these incidents and the university’s response to accusations of discrimination will determine the outcome of the case and the steps taken to create a safe and inclusive environment for all members of the UC Berkeley community.
