Campus Watch August 1, 2024

Judge Mandates UCLA Develop Plan to Protect Jewish Students

A federal judge mandated on July 29 that UCLA must develop a plan to protect Jewish students on campus by Aug. 5.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing three Jewish students in a lawsuit against UCLA over the university’s handling of the anti-Israel encampment, announced that the judge, Mark Scarsi, “asked the parties to work out an agreed plan preventing UCLA from allowing discrimination against Jewish students.” Yitzchok Frankel, one of the Jewish students suing the university, said in a statement, “UCLA tried to force me to choose between being a student or being a Jew. I appreciate the chance to have my day in court, and I look forward to being able to return to campus safely next month.” Becket President Mark Rienzi also said in a statement, “It’s disgusting that a prestigious American university would aid and abet antisemitic agitators who harass and segregate Jewish students. UCLA’s behavior needs to change, and we look forward to working out an appropriate plan that protects Jewish students on campus.”

UCLA Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications Mary Osako said in a statement to the Associated Press that the university’s “committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive campus, holding those who engaged in violence accountable, and combatting antisemitism in all forms. We have applied lessons learned from this spring’s protests and continue to work to foster a campus culture where everyone feels welcome and free from intimidation, discrimination and harassment.”

Anti-Israel Activist Indicted Over Alleged Firebombing of UC Berkeley Police Vehicle

An anti-Israel activist was indicted on July 24 over allegedly firebombing a UC Berkeley police vehicle on June 1.

The Jewish News of Northern California (The J) reported that Casey Robert Goonan, 34, was indicted on two felonies related to the firebombing and one felony on allegedly carrying an unregistered firearm. Goonan was initially arrested in June in connection to four alleged arson attacks at UC Berkeley and arrested again on July 11 after he allegedly lobbed rocks at an Oakland federal building’s window; Goonan allegedly had molotov cocktails on him as he was throwing the rocks. The indictment does not mention the alleged July 11 incident. The charges Goonan faced over the other three alleged arson attacks were dropped.

Jeff Wozniak, Goonan’s attorney, has previously told The J that Goonan is innocent and facing a “political persecution” over his views on “the ongoing genocide in Gaza.” The federal government is handling Goonan’s prosecution.

Report: “Many” Charges Against Anti-Israel Protesters on Campuses Dropped

The New York Times reported on July 21 that more than 3,100 anti-Israel protesters on college campuses nationwide were arrested or detained since Columbia University’s encampment was first erected, but “many” charges against them have been dropped.

The report stated that “most were charged with trespassing or disturbing the peace” while others faced “more serious charges, like resisting arrest.” The report proceeded to examine three schools which had “significant” amounts of protesters arrested: Indiana University Bloomington, University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) and University of Virginia (UVA).  At Indiana University Bloomington, administrators “abruptly changed campus rules to prohibit temporary structures without prior permission” and arrested 60 protesters on charges of trespassing; those charges were dropped after a local prosecutor concluded that the arrests were “constitutionally dubious.” Regarding the protesters arrested at the UT Austin encampment on April 29 on trespassing charges, Travis County Attorney Delia Garza said it would be hard for her office to prove that those arrested heard — and ignored — the dispersal order given during the pandemonium as officers in riot gear pushed back against the protesters. And at UVA, where 27 protesters were arrested, “the local prosecutor dropped the charges facing seven people after he determined there wasn’t enough evidence,” reported the Times. “He offered the rest an agreement: Their charges would be dismissed in August if they didn’t have any outstanding criminal charges at that time.”

Education Dept., Monterey School District Reach Resolution Agreement Over District’s Handling of Antisemitic Incidents

The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) announced on July 26 that they reached an agreement with Carmel Unified School District in Monterey County after OCR concluded that the district did not properly handle complaints of antisemitic incidents on campuses.

The district had received 15 notices of antisemitic incidents from 2021-22 and 2023-24 that included swastikas on campus as well as one student who claimed he wanted “to kill all Jews and burn them in their homes.” “While the district responded to these incidents by attempting to identify the responsible individuals and to discipline them when appropriate, OCR found that the district violated Title VI by failing to take effective steps reasonably calculated to eliminate the known hostile environment and to prevent its recurrence,” the press release stated. 

Under the resolution agreement, the district will, among other things, develop updated policies on harassment and “conduct a districtwide assessment of school climate, including specifically regarding antisemitism, with an emphasis on harassment and submit any proposed responsive action to OCR.”