'Federal judge rules in favor of UCLA in lawsuit over 'Jew Exclusion Zone''

The University of California, Los Angeles has been ordered by a Los Angeles federal district to stop supporting antisemitic protesters in banning Jews from significant areas of its campus.

On Oct. 7, a horrifying attack in Israel led to anti-Israel activists setting up barricades on campus, blocking access to critical educational infrastructure.

UCLA was accused by Becket Law and co-counsel Clement & Murphy PLLC in a lawsuit of "aiding and abetting" an antisemitic culture, resulting in a "Jew Exclusion Zone" on campus, where Jewish students were segregated and prevented from accessing the heart of campus.

"The lawsuit stated that in order to enter the Jewish Exclusion Zone, a person had to declare their loyalty to the activists' beliefs and have someone from the encampment verify their commitment to the cause. This effectively prevented the majority of Jews from accessing the center of the campus."

UCLA's administration was aware of the activists' radical behavior, including their exclusion of Jews.

"Despite a remarkable display of cowardice, appeasement, and illegality, the administration failed to take action to prevent it."

The suit alleges that UCLA Chancellor Gene Block publicly admitted that students were physically blocked from accessing parts of the campus while on their way to class.

In 2024, a federal district court in California ruled in favor of Jewish students who were excluded from parts of the UCLA campus due to their refusal to renounce their faith. This fact is so unacceptable and goes against our constitutional right to religious freedom that it must be repeated.

UCLA does not dispute the exclusion of Jewish students from the event, but claims it has no responsibility to protect their religious freedom because the exclusion was orchestrated by third-party protesters. However, under constitutional principles, UCLA cannot permit services to some students while knowing that others are excluded on religious grounds, regardless of who caused the exclusion, Judge Mark C. Scarsi ruled in the court order.

UCLA law student Yitzchok Frankel, a father of four, experienced antisemitic harassment last semester for wearing a kippah and was forced to change his regular routes on campus due to the establishment of a Jewish Exclusion Zone.

""I am grateful that the court has put an end to UCLA's shameful anti-Jewish conduct, which should never have resulted in any student being blocked from their campus," Frankel said."

UCLA's ongoing failures have forced Frankel to cancel plans with his family on campus and miss out on mentoring opportunities for Jewish students during orientation week. Similarly, Eden Shemuelian, a law student, has had to avoid using campus facilities and participating in law school orientation events due to UCLA's failure to ensure the safety and equal access of Jewish students.

The court-ordered injunction, which is the first in the nation, prohibits Frankel, Shemuelian, and others from returning to campus due to antisemitic bigotry.

The ruling will take effect on Aug. 15, and UCLA is likely to challenge it in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

UCLA vice chancellor for strategic communications, Mary Osako, stated that the school is closely reviewing the Judge's ruling and considering all their options moving forward.

""The district court's ruling would hinder our ability to create a welcoming campus culture and protect our students from intimidation, discrimination, and harassment," Osako stated."