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University of California resolves federal complaints over its handling of discrimination cases
A protest encampment at UCLA.
(
Frank Stoltze
/
LAist
)
Topline:
U.S. Department of Education officials agreed to resolve harassment and discrimination complaints against five University of California campuses related to protests over the war in Gaza.
The campuses involved:
- UCLA
- UC San Diego
- UC Santa Barbara
- UC Santa Cruz
- UC Davis
What were the allegations? That university administrators failed to respond promptly and effectively to harassment of their students based on national origin. This includes shared Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab ancestry.
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Federal officials began investigating: And documented anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli chants at campus protests; as well as allegations that UCLA police failed to protect Palestinian, Arab, and/or pro-Palestinian student protestors from violent counter-protestors. UC administrators approached the department to resolve the complaints before the investigation ended.
Changes UC says it will make: The University of California hasn't responded to LAist's request for comment. But among other items in the federal agreement, UC says it’ll better train university employees responsible for investigating reports and complaints of discrimination. UC also agreed to survey how much harassment and discrimination people on campus witness or are subject to.
Go deeper:
- The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights published the entire agreement here.
- And here's the link to the letter sent by the department to the University of California.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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