SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – Two California colleges have reached settlements with Jewish individuals and organizations after complaints alleging antisemitism linked to pro-Palestinian campus protests. As part of the resolution, the University of California, Berkeley will pay $60,000 to Yael Nativ, an Israeli sociologist and dance researcher who said she was not rehired despite her popular class. UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons issued an apology to Nativ and invited her to teach her course in a semester of her choosing. Nativ had filed a lawsuit earlier this year after requesting that the university act on a prior campus investigation, which determined she was discriminated against. She said the university’s initial response was insufficient.
At Pomona College, officials announced plans to hire a federal Title VI civil rights coordinator and to establish a “task force, committee, or advisory council” focused on Jewish life and antisemitism. The measures follow a federal complaint filed last year with the Education Department, which alleged violations of civil rights law during the college’s handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Some Jewish students said the protests created a hostile environment and criticized campus leadership for failing to enforce free speech and nondiscrimination policies. These incidents are part of broader concerns about bias against Jews and Muslims at U.S. colleges in the wake of the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, which sparked widespread regional violence. UC Berkeley also recently suspended a computer science lecturer for six months without pay over alleged pro-Palestinian political advocacy in the classroom.