UC Berkeley on Thursday settled a 2023 lawsuit filed by the Louis D. Brandeis Center. The settlement requires no admission of wrongdoing. The university’s full statement on the agreement is below. We are also posting a complete copy of the actual settlement agreement. There have been to date a few inaccurate reports about its contents.
This settlement reflects UC Berkeley’s long-standing values and objectives when it comes to combatting abhorrent antisemitic expression, harassment, and discrimination when it occurs on the Berkeley campus.
Since this litigation was filed in 2023, the university has taken significant steps to build upon its existing policies, programs and practices that address discrimination and harassment against Jews and Israelis, and to support the quality of Jewish life on campus, which the Anti-Defamation League describes as “excellent” in its latest “Campus Antisemitism Report Card.” UC Berkeley, under the leadership of Chancellor Rich Lyons, is committed to continuing those efforts that ensure Berkeley continues to be a positive environment for Jewish students.
The university will remain committed to compliance with Title VI and all other Titles under the US Civil Rights Act, and notes that in this settlement agreement, the campus has therefore made no admission of violating Title VI or any other Titles under the US Civil Rights Act.
The specific terms of the settlement include a continuing commitment to enforce rules that govern expressive activities on the campus; to prohibit discrimination and harassment as set forth in the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy; to ensure that students are aware of and have easy access to the office that oversees compliance with Title VI; to maintain our practice of rejecting calls for boycotts against and divestment from Israel; to expand academic offerings in both Jewish and Israeli studies; and to maintain the reach of antisemitism education that is provided to students, staff, and faculty. The settlement also reflects a shared understanding that UC Berkeley will continue its existing practice of considering the IHRA definition of antisemitism when reviewing allegations of antisemitic actions or expression, consistent with 2021 guidance from the Department of Education.
Both parties also recognize the particular importance and benefit of the university’s ongoing support for and engagement with the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Jewish Life that was established in 2015, as well as the groundbreaking Antisemitism Education Initiative that was launched on the campus in 2019.
UC Berkeley is and will continue to be a place where Jewish students, staff and faculty can thrive and feel safe, respected, and a true sense of belonging.