Frankel v. Regents of the University of California

Summary

In late April and early May 2024, UCLA became the center of controversy when pro-Palestinian protesters established an encampment on campus that, according to a federal lawsuit, excluded Jewish students from certain areas. The lead plaintiff, Yitzchok Frankel, a Jewish law student, along with two other students, alleged that activists created “Jew Exclusion Zones” and that the university administration failed to act. The plaintiffs claimed this violated their civil rights under federal law, specifically Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination at federally funded institutions. These events occurred amid a broader breakdown of campus safety, including violent clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and pro-Israel counterprotesters, as well as an attack on four student journalists on May 1, 2024, that drew further scrutiny of UCLA’s response.

On August 14, 2024, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction ordering UCLA to ensure equal and unimpeded access to all areas of campus for Jewish students and faculty. The court found that the university may have enabled or tolerated discriminatory conduct by failing to intervene when Jewish individuals were being excluded from public campus spaces. The judge criticized UCLA’s actions as potentially unconstitutional and warned that university officials could face personal liability for knowingly allowing such conduct to persist.

In March 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest supporting the plaintiffs, stating that UCLA’s failure to act may have violated federal civil rights protections. The DOJ emphasized that public universities have a legal duty to protect students from religious-based exclusion and harassment, even in the context of protest activity. The federal government’s involvement underscored the seriousness of the allegations and heightened national attention to the case, which remains ongoing.