The Donald Trump administration is preparing large-scale lawsuits against the University of California (UC) system and other major universities, accusing them of ignoring or enabling discrimination against Jewish students and staff.
Leo Terrell, senior legal advisor at the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division, said in a May 28 interview with Fox News that the federal government is planning lawsuits against the UC system and major universities across the East Coast, West Coast, and Midwest. He cited potential violations related to hate crimes and civil rights laws.
Terrell stated that more than 10 schools are under investigation by a federal antisemitism task force. These include UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, George Washington University, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, and the University of Minnesota.
Following the announcement, several universities issued statements defending their policies. A spokesperson for the UC system, said, “Antisemitism is unacceptable. We are continuously working to eliminate all forms of discrimination and will continue cooperating with the government.”
USC added, “We have taken strong steps to protect all students, including Jewish students, and we clearly oppose antisemitism.”
Despite these statements, the DOJ task force claimed that attempts to visit some campuses had been blocked by what it described as “resistance” from university administrators. The nature of this resistance was not specified.
In March, the U.S. Department of Education sent warning letters to more than 60 college campuses, including UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis, stating that schools could face penalties if they fail to protect Jewish students. Other colleges named in the letters include Pomona College, Stanford, Chapman University, Santa Monica College, and Sacramento State University.
The DOJ is also investigating what it described as a possible “pattern” of discrimination against Jewish employees within the UC system, which could constitute a civil rights violation under federal law.
On May 28, President Trump also criticized Harvard University for its handling of antisemitism-related issues and called for a drastic cut in the number of foreign students enrolled. Speaking from the White House, he said, “Harvard should show us the list of foreign students. Nearly 31% of its students are international, and we want to know where they’re from.”
BY BRIAN CHOI [choi.inseong@koreadaily.com]
