California Governor Gavin Newsom is refusing to acknowledge the extent of antisemitism at UCLA, where Jewish students were harassed and excluded from campus spaces by anti-Israel protesters during 2024’s encampments. His dismissal comes as the Trump administration presses the university to pay a $1 billion fine for civil rights violations and implement reforms to protect Jewish and Israeli students.
A federal judge sharply rebuked UCLA in an August 2024 ruling, writing: “Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith. UCLA does not dispute this.” The court rejected UCLA’s claim that it bore no responsibility since protesters orchestrated the exclusion, emphasizing the school’s constitutional duty to safeguard religious freedom.
Despite the ruling, Newsom has resisted calls to hold UCLA accountable. Politico reported that the governor scoffed at the idea of a fine, saying, “Fine for what?” He added that he would resign before approving such a settlement, doubling down on his defense of state institutions.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has condemned UCLA as one of the nation’s worst offenders in fostering a hostile environment for Jewish students. His administration has demanded accountability and pledged to enforce civil rights protections vigorously.
Newsom, who has pushed progressive causes such as a reparations task force for slavery in a state that entered the Union as free in 1850, has shown little interest in addressing what Jewish students endured. Instead, he framed the issue through partisan attacks on Trump, referencing the former president’s controversial 2022 dinner guest list while ignoring the documented harassment on campus.
Jewish students and faculty remain deeply concerned, with federal authorities signaling that further penalties may follow unless UCLA enacts serious reforms.
