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The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday that it had launched a civil investigation into the University of California system under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Under Title VII, the U.S. Attorney General has the authority to commence an investigation into state and local government employers if they find a reasonable cause of engaging in a “pattern or practice” of employment discrimination.
“Our country has witnessed a disturbing rise in anti-Semitism in educational institutions across California and across the country,” Chad Mizzell, acting assistant attorney general and chief of staff for the department, said in a statement. “The Department of Justice supports Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and is committed to protecting Jewish Americans in investigating this potential pattern of discrimination.”
Pro-Palestinian protests break out at UCLA campus
The study determines whether UC is engaged in patterns or practices of discrimination based on race, religion, and national origin against race, religion, and other employees due to the presence of an anti-Semitic hostile work environment on its campus.
The DOJ said it would investigate the Employment Opportunity Committee, the Federal Task Force and UC to combat anti-Semitism, a multi-institutional group established last month.
In a statement to KTLA 5 News, the UC system said it was “unshakable by its commitment to combat anti-Semitism and protecting civil rights for all.”
“We want to be clear. The University of California is unshakable in its commitment to combat anti-Semitism and protecting civil rights for all. We continue to take concrete steps to foster an environment that is free from harassment and discrimination against everyone in our university community.”
Several demonstrations at US universities, including UCLA, broke out last spring in connection with the Israeli Hamas War and Israel’s occupation of Gaza, sparking debates over freedom of speech.
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