By Jonathan Stempel
(Reuters) – A federal judge said Jewish groups may pursue a lawsuit accusing the University of California, Berkeley, of tolerating an “unrelenting” stream of antisemitic harassment toward Jewish students and faculty.
In a decision made public on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge James Donato said two Jewish groups may pursue equal protection, free exercise of religion, and civil rights claims against school officials including University of California President Michael Drake and former UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ.
Donato said the plaintiffs plausibly alleged that Jewish students and professors were treated differently at UC Berkeley because they are Jewish, and that the school was “deliberately indifferent to the on-campus harassment and hostile environment.”
The San Francisco-based judge also dismissed a contract-based claim.
Lawyers for the defendants did not immediately respond on Wednesday to requests for comment.
The plaintiffs are the nonprofit Louis D. Brandeis Center and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, a nationwide group whose members include UC Berkeley staff and students.
Many top U.S. colleges and universities have been accused of tolerating antisemitism and mishandling protests following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack against Israel.
Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump canceled $400 million of federal funding for Columbia University over its alleged failure to police antisemitism.
His administration also sent letters to 60 schools including UC Berkeley in March, warning of possible enforcement actions if they did not address antisemitic harassment and discrimination.
John Coghlan, a lawyer for plaintiffs in the UC Berkeley lawsuit, called Donato’s decision “an overwhelming victory” for his clients.
“We’re looking forward to continuing to fight for the Jewish community at Berkeley,” he said in an interview. “To the extent there is greater momentum toward combating antisemitism, that helps our case.”
The case is Louis D. Brandeis Center Inc et al v Regents of the University of California et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 23-06133.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
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