UCLA Students File Lawsuit Against Alleged ‘Jew Exclusion Zone’ on Campus

Three Jewish University of California Los Angeles students are bringing a lawsuit against the school for allowing anti-Israel protesters to create a “Jew Exclusion Zone” that only allowed those who supported the Palestinian cause.

According to the Free Beacon, this lawsuit, filed by the religious liberty law firm Becket on June 5, is the first of its kind to challenge a major California university for its handling of antisemitic protests related to Israel’s conflict with Hamas.

The lawsuit claims that one student was prevented from passing through the encampment on their way to class, while another was harassed and blocked from approaching the area by anti-Semitic activists with the help of UCLA security.

Furthermore, a second-year law student who attempted to observe the encampment was told to leave by a security officer who referred to her as ‘the problem.’

The suit alleges that UCLA administrators were aware of the exclusion zone and even hired security to monitor it, instructing guards to prevent unapproved students from crossing the blockade.

The complaint states, “The administration’s failure to ensure access to UCLA’s educational opportunities and protect the Jewish community is not only immoral but also illegal.”

The lawsuit names UCLA administrators, including outgoing chancellor Gene Block, and the UC Board of Regents, which oversees the University of California system.

The protest, organized by the UCLA chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and the UC Divest Coalition at UCLA, took place outside the main library and music hall at the end of April, leading to clashes and violent incidents before police were called in to disperse the protesters a week later.

Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, UCLA has witnessed a rise in antisemitic activities, including graffiti in a bathroom that read “Free Palestine, F—k Jews,” as reported by the Free Beacon.