Cultural Affairs Commissioner (CAC) at UCLA Alicia Verdugo stepped down on Tuesday, Feb. 4, following years of antisemitism allegations. Some Jewish students claimed she refused to hire them solely because of their faith or support for Israel.
In a statement from the student board of Hillel at UCLA, they welcomed Verdugo’s resignation from the Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC).
“It is no surprise that this comes ahead of this week’s Judicial Board hearing that intended to hold them responsible for a pattern of antisemitism, including the most recent incident of clear discrimination against Jewish students when hiring for roles within USAC.”
Last December, student Bella Brannon, 21, filed a complaint against Verdugo, stating that she and other students had been raising concerns about the CAC for years. The complaint detailed how students who identified as Jewish on their job applications were rejected by Verdugo’s office. These students did not express their views on the war in Israel or take any side in the conflict.
“We commend and stand with Bella Brannon, who courageously took a stand publicly against the CAC to call for this judicial hearing, as well as with all other Jewish students who have faced similar antisemitism hate and antisemitic discrimination on our campus. Antisemitism has no place at UCLA, and we hope that the CAC’s resignation stands as an example that we will not stand idly by to those who continue to think they can get away with promoting antisemitic rhetoric and discriminatory actions,” read the Hillel statement.
UCLA student Eli Tsives, who has experienced antisemitism on campus and documented it in a viral video clip on social media, posted on his Instagram: “The Zionists won!!! Alicia Verdugo has stepped down from her position as Cultural Affairs Commissioner at UCLA!”
In a statement, Brannon and Tsives said, “Restoring a truly inclusive campus climate requires accountability, and Alicia Verdugo’s resignation is a step towards that goal. While she has framed her departure on their own terms, the reality is that her tenure was defined by blatant discrimination against Jewish students, violating UCLA’s anti-discrimination policies and federal law.”
Brannon and Tsives further claimed that leaked internal messages revealed Verdugo had explicitly instructed her staff to reject ‘Zionist applicants to the CAC,’ leading to the exclusion of all applicants who expressed a Jewish identity.
Hillel reiterated its call for UCLA’s administration—including Chancellor Julio Frenk and Vice Chancellor Monroe Gorden—to take stronger action in supporting Jewish students and holding those responsible for discriminatory actions accountable.
“The CAC’s resignation was the result of the student community taking a stand and rallying behind what is right and just.”
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