Judge orders UCLA to ensure equal campus access for Jewish students

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

A FEDERAL JUDGE RULED TUESDAY – THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES CANNOT ALLOW PROTESTORS TO BLOCK JEWISH STUDENTS FROM CERTAIN PARTS OF CAMPUS AND MUST ENSURE EQUAL CAMPUS ACCESS.

“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” HE WROTE WHILE DESCRIBING THE SITUATION AS ‘UNIMAGINABLE’ AND ‘ABHORRENT.’

IN JUNE – THREE JEWISH STUDENTS FILED SUIT AGAINST UCLA – ALLEGING DISCRIMINATION ON CAMPUS DURING PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS WHEN PROTESTORS BLOCKED THEM FROM ACCESSING CLASSES, BUILDINGS, AND SERVICES. 

THE SUIT CLAIMS UCLA FAILED TO ENSURE ACCESS FOR ALL JEWISH STUDENTS.

UCLA ARGUES IT HAS NO LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE PROTESTORS – NOT ADMINISTRATORS OR STAFF – ARE THE ONES WHO BLOCKED THE JEWISH STUDENTS.

DISTRICT JUDGE MARK SCARSI ISSUED A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION – IN FAVOR OF THE JEWISH STUDENTS – CONDEMNING THEIR EXCLUSION FROM AREAS ON UCLA’S CAMPUS AS A VIOLATION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

JUDGE SCARSI ORDERED UCLA TO ENSURE ACCESS FOR JEWISH STUDENTS TO ALL CAMPUS FACILITIES OR ELSE CANCEL ALL ACTIVITIES AND FACE POTENTIAL SHUTDOWNS.

UCLA IS EXPECTED TO APPEAL THE RULING TO THE U.S. 9TH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS.

CLASSES AT UCLA RESUME NEXT MONTH.

 FOR SAN, I’M LT..