In a ruling that sent shockwaves through the academic community, US District Judge Mark Scarsi didn't hold back as he ordered UCLA to take decisive action to protect its Jewish students.
His voice tinged with disbelief and outrage, Scarsi declared, "In the year 2024, in the United States of America, in the State of California, in the City of Los Angeles, Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith."
The judge's words paint a stark picture of a campus in turmoil, where the lines between protest and discrimination have become dangerously blurred. At the heart of this controversy are the pro-Palestinian encampments that sprang up across American universities last spring, protesting Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
But at UCLA, these protests took a sinister turn. Jewish students found themselves barred from parts of their own campus, their faith suddenly a barrier to their education. Yitzchok Frankel, a third-year law student, spoke of the "shameful anti-Jewish conduct" he and his peers endured.
The details that emerged during the hearing were chilling. Campus police, tasked with protecting all students, instead stood by as protesters erected physical barricades. Even more shockingly, school security actively instructed Jewish students to avoid certain areas, effectively sanctioning their exclusion.
UCLA's defense rings hollow in the face of such stark facts. The university's lawyers argued for non-violent de-escalation, painting a picture of a delicate balancing act.
But Judge Scarsi saw through this, his ruling a damning indictment of a public institution that failed in its most basic duty to protect the constitutional rights of its students.
The emotional toll on Jewish students is palpable. The lawsuit speaks of fear, isolation, and a profound sense of betrayal. These young people, who came to UCLA in pursuit of knowledge and growth, instead found themselves targets of discrimination, their identities under attack.
As news of the ruling spread, reactions were swift and polarized. Frankel expressed gratitude, his relief evident as he spoke of putting "a stop to this shameful anti-Jewish conduct." On the other side, UCLA's spokesperson bristled at the decision, warning it would "improperly hamstring our ability to respond to events on the ground."
The implications of this ruling reverberate far beyond UCLA's campus. Legal experts like Michael Helfand of Pepperdine University see this as a watershed moment, one that could reshape how universities across the nation handle the delicate balance between free speech and religious freedom.
The future remains uncertain as UCLA weighs its options, including a possible appeal. In an intresting move, it has meanwhile appointed Julio Frenk, a descendant of Jewish immigrants, as its next chancellor.
Unfortunately though, the wounds inflicted during those tense days of protest will not heal quickly, with the words of Judge Scarsi a stark reminder of what's at stake: "This fact is so unimaginable and so abhorrent to our constitutional guarantee of religious freedom that it bears repeating."
* The Times of Israel contributed to this article.
