by Michael Starr
UC President James Milliken said that the Justice Department had made the proposal to UCLA on Friday, on the heels of the university system’s offer to engage “in good faith dialogue."
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The University of California Board of Regents held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the US federal government’s demand for a $1b settlement payment for antisemitism and civil rights violations, as well as the suspension of over half a billion in research funding for UC Los Angeles.
“UC’s leadership spent recent days evaluating the demand, updating the UC community, and engaging with stakeholders,” UC External Relations Vice President Vivian Turner said in a statement after the meeting. “Our focus remains on protecting students’ access to a UC education and promoting the academic freedom, excellence, and innovation that have always been at the heart of UC’s work.”
UC President James Milliken said that the Justice Department had made the proposal to UCLA on Friday, on the heels of the university system’s offer to engage “in good faith dialogue” regarding the July 30 $584 million freeze of UCLA’s federal funding.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a joint statement with other state officials that the settlement was offered in exchange for restoring the frozen medical and science grant funding. The funding had been frozen due to the university’s response to anti-Israel protests and the conduct of students and activists during the demonstrations.
The White House did not immediately respond to The Jerusalem Post’s request for comment on the proposal.
“Americans across this great nation rely on the vital work of UCLA and the UC system for technologies and medical therapies that save lives, grow the US economy, and protect our national security,” Milliken continued.
Newsom, Jewish officials slam settlement offer as weaponized justice system
Newsom and Jewish state officials attacked the settlement offer as an example of a weaponized justice system designed to undermine academic freedom.“This isn’t about protecting Jewish students – it’s a billion-dollar political shakedown from the pay-to-play president,” the Californian officials said in a joint statement on Friday.
“Trump has weaponized the Department of Justice to punish California, crush free thinking, and kneecap the greatest public university system in the world. UCLA has taken aggressive, concrete steps to crack down on the vile scourge of antisemitism on campus, and we are confident Chancellor [Julio] Frenk remains committed to this critical work. As Jewish leaders and strong allies, we are united against Trump’s assault and will fight like hell because California will not bow to this kind of disgusting political extortion.”
Newsom argued that California had a strong record of confronting antisemitism on campus, launching the Golden State Plan to Counter Antisemitism in 2024 to create community partnerships, enhance security, and improve data collection.
Milliken had also responded to the initial funding freeze by arguing that the UC had taken extensive action against antisemitism, implementing revised discrimination policies, prohibiting encampments and identity concealment, and opposing boycotts of Israel.
“These cuts do nothing to address antisemitism,” Milliken argued in an August 6 statement. “The extensive work that UCLA and the entire University of California have taken to combat antisemitism has apparently been ignored.”
Frenk warned on July 31 that the suspension would affect grants that impact vital research, such as breakthroughs that had advanced transplant medicine or the understanding of invasive diseases.
“It is a loss for Americans across the nation whose work, health, and future depend on the groundbreaking work we do,” said Frenk.
The funding freeze came just a day after a July 29 settlement for a lawsuit brought by a Jewish professor and students over the alleged failure to prevent antisemitic discrimination during post-October 7 campus protests.
The university agreed to implement more policies to protect Jewish students and staff. It is also set to donate $2.33 m. to eight organizations that counter antisemitism and another $320,000 to UCLA’s counter-antisemitism initiative.
UC Board of Regents Chair Janet Reilly said in a statement that “We have been clear about where we have fallen short, and we are committed to doing better, moving forward. Today’s settlement reflects a critically important goal that we share with the plaintiffs: to foster a safe, secure, and inclusive environment for all members of our community and ensure that there is no room for antisemitism anywhere on campus.”
The Trump administration’s demands have come after weeks of negotiation and investigation into American universities for their response to anti-Israel protest encampments, which Jewish students felt proliferated antisemitism and radicalism.
Columbia University and Brown University have agreed to pay over $220 m. and $50 m., respectively, but terse talks with Harvard University are ongoing.
Mathilda Heller contributed to this report.
Michael Starr
Source: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-864053
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