A group of antisemitic UCLA students beat their Jewish classmates unconscious, attacked them with sticks and pepper spray and created Jewish exclusion zones — all while the school did nothing to stop it — according to a new lawsuit against the University of California.

The school allowed for vile antisemitic attacks on Jewish students on the campus following the Hamas attacks on October 7, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division said in the suit, obtained by The California Post.

“Antisemitic hatred against UCLA’s Jewish and Israeli students reached a point where students were physically assaulted, injured, excluded from campus, and deprived of educational opportunities because of their perceived Jewish or Israeli heritage,” the lawsuit said.

The explosive Department of Justice complaint alleges anti-Israel protesters seized control of UCLA’s main quad in April 2024, setting up barricades and physically blocking Jewish and Israeli students from entering classrooms, libraries and walkways.

One Jewish student was knocked unconscious with an open head wound, while others were kicked, beaten with sticks and blasted with pepper spray. Another victim was assaulted and told “Hitler missed one.”

One Native Jewish woman-who counter protested by holding a sign reading “Hamas supporters are not welcome on native land”-was “violently assaulted,” per the complaint. UCLA police were “directly behind [her] and [did] absolutely nothing,” it added.

Protestors established militia-style checkpoints on UCLA’s campus and refused to allow Jews to traverse public property unless those Jews denounced a core tenet of their religion, per the complaint.

The encampment took over Royce Quad — the heart of campus — with barricades, checkpoints and graffiti including “F*** ALL Jews” and ‘F*** Israel’ scrawled on buildings.

Justice Department Sues University of California for Antisemitic Hostile Educational Environment

“Earlier this year, we sued UCLA for subjecting its Jewish and Israeli employees to an antisemitic hostile work environment,” said @AAGDhillon. “Now, the Department of Justice calls… pic.twitter.com/4yeh4pVLLW

— DOJ Civil Rights Division (@CivilRights) May 26, 2026

The vile students also allegedly set up “human phalanxes” to stop access for Jewish students for some areas — demanding students renounce Zionism to pass through checkpoints.

By the time police finally moved in, the situation had spiraled into what officials later described as a “war zone,” with fireworks, strobe lights and violent clashes between rival groups.

The DOJ says UCLA violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by showing “deliberate indifference” to widespread harassment and discrimination.

More than 100 complaints were filed by Jewish and Israeli students — many allegedly ignored by the school.

Internal findings cited in the lawsuit say UCLA leadership repeatedly refused to enforce its own rules, allowing the illegal encampment to persist for days.

Nearly 60% of Jewish students said they avoided campus at the time, while more than 40% considered leaving UCLA altogether, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims UCLA officials knew students were at risk of assault but “took no serious action whatsoever” for nearly a week.

Instead, administrators told students to “avoid the area if they wish” while describing the chaos as “mostly peaceful.”

Behind the scenes, the school chose a “de-escalation strategy” — even as protesters armed themselves with pepper spray, lumber and makeshift weapons

The DOJ also alleged UCLA breached its federal funding contracts and grants by claiming it complied with its Title VI obligations while allowing discrimination against Jewish and Israeli students to persist on campus.

“Earlier this year, we sued UCLA for subjecting its Jewish and Israeli employees to an antisemitic hostile work environment,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said.

“Now, the Department of Justice calls UCLA to account for its toleration of the equally appalling hostile educational environment against its Jewish and Israeli students.”

Los Angeles’ top federal prosecutor Bill Essayli, First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California, said that universities “have an obligation to maintain safe and inclusive campuses for all students.”

“Universities that violate our nation’s civil rights laws by repeatedly failing to shield Jewish students from antisemitism will be held accountable.”

UCLA has been under increased scrutiny following months of protests and encampments over Israel’s war in Gaza.

“The Board of Regents and administrative leadership have been unequivocal: antisemitism has no place at the University of California,” University of California President James B. Milliken said in a statement to The Post.

“We have instituted numerous systemwide reforms and programs to promote safety and combat antisemitism on our campuses. UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk, whose family was profoundly affected by Nazi antisemitism and the Holocaust, has made the protection of Jewish students, faculty, and staff on campus the highest priority since the day he took office.”

“This litigation — and other actions taken by the federal government targeting the University of California — does nothing to aid our ongoing efforts to address antisemitism and create safe and welcoming campus environments for all members of our community,” the statement read.

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