No One Should Help UCLA Dodge Consequences. Especially Not Jewish Organizations.

This past May, I graduated from UCLA Law — not as your typical student, but as a father of four who proudly wore T-shirts with American and Israeli flags every day since October 7, 2023, to show my appreciation for America and my support of Zionism. After enduring firsthand antisemitism and religious discrimination, I sued. While sitting for the Bar this past July, I settled with UCLA for a permanent injunction and $6.13 million (In honor of the 613 commandments in the Torah). That same day, the Justice Department found UCLA in violation of federal civil rights laws. As Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon noted, “UCLA failed to take timely and appropriate action in response to credible claims of harm and hostility on its campus.”

I’m grateful for the federal government’s swift investigation and actions, including freezing $584 million in grants and proposing a $1.2 billion fine, which have begun to hold UCLA accountable. This past week a federal judge’s preliminary injunction temporarily restored most of those NIH and NSF grants amid an ongoing lawsuit, this short-term reprieve doesn’t absolve the university’s civil rights violations or halt the push for lasting penalties.