The administration of US President Donald Trump is seeking a $1 billion settlement from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), following accusations from the Department of Justice (DOJ) that the university violated federal civil rights laws by failing to address antisemitic incidents on campus. A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the demand, as reported by the Associated Press.UCLA is the first public university to face such a large-scale financial penalty amid the Trump administration’s broader push to reform higher education institutions it claims are failing to uphold civil rights protections. Federal funding for UCLA was suspended earlier, totalling $584 million, according to university officials.DOJ cites violation of civil rights law and the Fourteenth AmendmentAccording to a DOJ finding issued on July 29, UCLA violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by “acting with deliberate indifference in creating a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students,” as reported by the Associated Press.The allegations stem largely from the university’s handling of protests related to the 2024 Israel-Hamas war. During one night of unrest, counterprotesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment on UCLA’s campus, resulting in several injuries before police intervened hours later. Over 200 individuals were arrested the following day after refusing orders to disband. Jewish students reported being blocked from campus areas and classrooms by demonstrators.California officials respond to $1 billion demandCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom accused the Trump administration of using financial threats for political purposes. Speaking to reporters, he said, “He has threatened us through extortion with a billion-dollar fine unless we do his bidding,” as quoted by the Associated Press. He contrasted California’s response with settlements reached by private institutions, stating, “We will not be like some of those other institutions that have followed a different path.”James B. Milliken, president of the University of California, said the university had “just received” the DOJ document and would review it. He noted that such a settlement “would completely devastate our country’s greatest public university system,” as reported by the Associated Press. Milliken, who recently assumed office, stated the university had offered to engage in a “good faith dialogue” with the DOJ.Settlements with other universities set precedentThe Trump administration has already reached civil rights settlements with other institutions, including $50 million from Brown University and $221 million from Columbia University. Columbia also regained access to over $400 million in research grants. Negotiations with Harvard University are ongoing, with the administration reportedly pressing for a larger settlement.UCLA previously settled separate civil rights lawsuitLast week, UCLA reached a $6 million settlement in a civil rights lawsuit filed by three Jewish students and a Jewish professor. The university also committed $2.3 million to organisations addressing antisemitism and supporting its Jewish community. As part of broader reforms, UCLA established an Office of Campus and Community Safety and introduced new systemwide protest guidelines.As reported by the Associated Press, Chancellor Julio Frenk, whose family history includes Holocaust survivors, also launched an initiative aimed at combating antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias on campus.TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.
