Latest news with #StettHolbrook
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Demonstrators sue UCLA over handling of pro-Palestinian protests
Dozens of demonstrators who took part in last spring's pro-Palestinian protests at UCLA — including the encampment that came under attack — are suing the university and law enforcement agencies, alleging they were unlawfully arrested, their civil rights were violated, they suffered lasting injuries and were left unprotected while exercising free speech. The complaint, filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, names UCLA, UCLA Police, the University of California, the Los Angeles Police Department and the California Highway Patrol as defendants. Thirty-five people associated with multiple spring protests at UCLA — students, faculty, journalists, legal observers and protesters unaffiliated with UCLA — are plaintiffs. The suit also names 20 individuals as defendants, alleging they participated in a vigilante group that violently stormed the encampment over an hours-long overnight period beginning April 30. Since the vast majority of attackers have not been arrested, the complaint uses media reports, social media postings and videos to identify alleged perpetrators. The lawsuit asks a judge to declare protesters' arrests to be illegal and instruct the university that it cannot declare a protest unlawful 'merely on the suspicion' that it violates campus rules or the law. UCLA has contended that it followed the law in shutting down protests. The suit also asks for unspecified monetary damages that would begin at $25,000 and increase depending on the alleged legal violations against each plaintiff. Read more: UCLA launches effort to fight antisemitism as Trump says more pro-Palestinian activist arrests ahead 'The events at UCLA highlight systemic anti-Palestinian bias and the administration's failure to uphold its obligation to protect the rights of students and faculty to engage in peaceful protest and expression,' the lawsuit alleged. 'This action seeks to hold UCLA accountable for its failure to address and prevent Islamophobic, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination, its violation of civil rights of all pro-Palestinian protesters — a group comprised of a wide range of people including Jewish people,' the suit said. Stett Holbrook, a UC spokesperson, said the university was aware of the suit. 'We want to be clear: the University of California unequivocally rejects all forms of hate, harassment and discrimination. Violence of any kind has no place at UC,' Holbrook said. 'We have instituted system-wide reforms to promote safety and combat harassment and discrimination on our campuses. Our focus remains to maintain a UC that is safe and welcoming to all.' Spokespeople for the LAPD and CHP said they do not comment on pending litigation. The lawsuit joins a string of legal actions tied to the encampment on Royce Quad that went up April 25. Last July, Jewish students and a faculty member sued the university in federal court, accusing UCLA of enabling the encampment to allegedly block Jews from certain campus pathways. The Trump administration made a filing this week supporting the ongoing suit. Protesters deny that they excluded anyone based upon religion or ethnicity. In October, the American Civil Liberties Union sued in state court on behalf of two students and two faculty members — one who is part of the newest lawsuit — on grounds that their free speech rights were violated and that they were illegally arrested during protests. Read more: Trump court action accuses UCLA of trying to 'evade responsibility' for alleged antisemitism Multiple federal departments under the Trump administration have also selected UCLA for investigations into alleged antisemitism stemming from pro-Palestinian campus protests. The UCLA encampment was one of the largest built on college campuses across the U.S. as a student movement swelled in the months after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel's war in Gaza. Activists at UCLA and elsewhere demanded universities divest from investments tied to weapons companies or Israel, as well as halt study abroad programs in Israel and cut or eliminate policing on campus. Multiple University of California reviews found that UCLA administrators failed to quickly coordinate with law enforcement agencies that arrived on campus April 30. A Los Angeles Police Commission report also faulted the university. Police broke apart the encampment on May 1 and 2 and arrested more than 200 people. Additional smaller, shorter encampments sprung up over the weeks, including a June 10 one cited in the lawsuit that ended in roughly two dozen arrests and injuries from rubber bullets. In response to campus tensions, UCLA launched a new campus safety office, contracted with additional security patrols, and redrew campus protest rules to restrict free speech areas. It enacted a 'zero tolerance' for campus conduct violations such as overnight camping or the use of face coverings while violating the law. Critics say the university has unevenly enforced its rules. At 86 pages, Thursday's lawsuit is one of the most extensive treatments in or outside of court to analyze events at the encampment that have left a deep and lingering mark on campus. As part of the suit, several protesters detail how they believe they suffered from the university and law enforcement's treatment. They cite broken bones, post-traumatic stress disorder, nerve damage and ongoing mental health concerns. One is Thistle Boosinger, an artist and musician who joined the encampment. During the mob attack, a vigilante smashed her hand with a metal rod, leading to broken bones and nerve damage, Boosinger said in the complaint. Speaking at a press conference Thursday, she said she has had multiple unsuccessful surgeries, has gone into medical debt and cannot "lay my hand flat on a table or make a fist without terrible pain.' 'My main passion and source of income as a Taiko drummer is over,' said Boosinger, who was not a UCLA student. "UCLA not only watched and did nothing' but 'values investment portfolio over the lives and safety of real people." Student Faraaz Qureshi also details his experience. Qureshi, who was in the camp when police raided it overnight on May 1 and 2, said he was shot four times by rubber bullets — once on his right pinkie finger, twice in the chest and once in the back. The shot to the finger, the suit said, caused 'extensive soft tissue damage.' 'Qureshi continues to experience significant pain and limited mobility in his finger' that has 'directly impacted his ability to perform daily tasks and he remains unable to work,' the lawsuit said. Graeme Blair, an associate professor of political science, explains in the suit how attackers on April 30 sprayed 'chemical munitions' in his face — it is unclear which kind — leaving a burning sensation for hours. He also recounts his May 2 arrest and says he 'continues to suffer psychologically and emotionally' and has been diagnosed with PTSD. 'With this lawsuit, I hope to see a measure of accountability for what happened this spring,' Blair said Thursday. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Demonstrators sue UCLA over handling of pro-Palestinian protests
Dozens of demonstrators who took part in last spring's pro-Palestinian protests at UCLA — including the encampment that came under attack — are suing the university and law enforcement agencies, alleging they were unlawfully arrested, their civil rights were violated, they suffered lasting injuries and were left unprotected while exercising free speech. The complaint, filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, names UCLA, UCLA Police, the University of California, the Los Angeles Police Department and the California Highway Patrol as defendants. Thirty-five people associated with multiple spring protests at UCLA — students, faculty, journalists, legal observers and protesters unaffiliated with UCLA — are plaintiffs. The suit also names 20 individuals as defendants, alleging they participated in a vigilante group that violently stormed the encampment over an hours-long overnight period beginning April 30. Since the vast majority of attackers have not been arrested, the complaint uses media reports, social media postings and videos to identify alleged perpetrators. The lawsuit asks a judge to declare protesters' arrests to be illegal and instruct the university that it cannot declare a protest unlawful 'merely on the suspicion' that it violates campus rules or the law. UCLA has contended that it followed the law in shutting down protests. The suit also asks for unspecified monetary damages that would begin at $25,000 and increase depending on the alleged legal violations against each plaintiff. 'The events at UCLA highlight systemic anti-Palestinian bias and the administration's failure to uphold its obligation to protect the rights of students and faculty to engage in peaceful protest and expression,' the lawsuit alleged. 'This action seeks to hold UCLA accountable for its failure to address and prevent Islamophobic, anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination, its violation of civil rights of all pro-Palestinian protesters — a group comprised of a wide range of people including Jewish people,' the suit said. Stett Holbrook, a UC spokesperson, said the university was aware of the suit. 'We want to be clear: the University of California unequivocally rejects all forms of hate, harassment and discrimination. Violence of any kind has no place at UC,' Holbrook said. 'We have instituted system-wide reforms to promote safety and combat harassment and discrimination on our campuses. Our focus remains to maintain a UC that is safe and welcoming to all.' Spokespeople for the LAPD and CHP said they do not comment on pending litigation. The lawsuit joins a string of legal actions tied to the encampment on Royce Quad that went up April 25. Last July, Jewish students and a faculty member sued the university in federal court, accusing UCLA of enabling the encampment to allegedly block Jews from certain campus pathways. The Trump administration made a filing this week supporting the ongoing suit. Protesters deny that they excluded anyone based upon religion or ethnicity. In October, the American Civil Liberties Union sued in state court on behalf of two students and two faculty members — one who is part of the newest lawsuit — on grounds that their free speech rights were violated and that they were illegally arrested during protests. Multiple federal departments under the Trump administration have also selected UCLA for investigations into alleged antisemitism stemming from pro-Palestinian campus protests. The UCLA encampment was one of the largest built on college campuses across the U.S. as a student movement swelled in the months after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel's war in Gaza. Activists at UCLA and elsewhere demanded universities divest from investments tied to weapons companies or Israel, as well as halt study abroad programs in Israel and cut or eliminate policing on campus. Multiple University of California reviews found that UCLA administrators failed to quickly coordinate with law enforcement agencies that arrived on campus April 30. A Los Angeles Police Commission report also faulted the university. Police broke apart the encampment on May 1 and 2 and arrested more than 200 people. Additional smaller, shorter encampments sprung up over the weeks, including a June 10 one cited in the lawsuit that ended in roughly two dozen arrests and injuries from rubber bullets. In response to campus tensions, UCLA launched a new campus safety office, contracted with additional security patrols, and redrew campus protest rules to restrict free speech areas. It enacted a 'zero tolerance' for campus conduct violations such as overnight camping or the use of face coverings while violating the law. Critics say the university has unevenly enforced its rules. At 86 pages, Thursday's lawsuit is one of the most extensive treatments in or outside of court to analyze events at the encampment that have left a deep and lingering mark on campus. As part of the suit, several protesters detail how they believe they suffered from the university and law enforcement's treatment. They cite broken bones, post-traumatic stress disorder, nerve damage and ongoing mental health concerns. One is Thistle Boosinger, an artist and musician who joined the encampment. During the mob attack, a vigilante smashed her hand with a metal rod, leading to broken bones and nerve damage, Boosinger said in the complaint. Speaking at a press conference Thursday, she said she has had multiple unsuccessful surgeries, has gone into medical debt and cannot 'lay my hand flat on a table or make a fist without terrible pain.' 'My main passion and source of income as a Taiko drummer is over,' said Boosinger, who was not a UCLA student. 'UCLA not only watched and did nothing' but 'values investment portfolio over the lives and safety of real people.' Student Faraaz Qureshi also details his experience. Qureshi, who was in the camp when police raided it overnight on May 1 and 2, said he was shot four times by rubber bullets — once on his right pinkie finger, twice in the chest and once in the back. The shot to the finger, the suit said, caused 'extensive soft tissue damage.' 'Qureshi continues to experience significant pain and limited mobility in his finger' that has 'directly impacted his ability to perform daily tasks and he remains unable to work,' the lawsuit said. Graeme Blair, an associate professor of political science, explains in the suit how attackers on April 30 sprayed 'chemical munitions' in his face — it is unclear which kind — leaving a burning sensation for hours. He also recounts his May 2 arrest and says he 'continues to suffer psychologically and emotionally' and has been diagnosed with PTSD. 'With this lawsuit, I hope to see a measure of accountability for what happened this spring,' Blair said Thursday.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pro-Palestinian activists sue UCLA alleging civil rights violations at campus encampment
More than 30 pro-Palestinian activists have filed a civil rights lawsuit against UCLA, alleging the university 'repeatedly and systemically' violated the civil rights of protesters during demonstrations at the campus encampment last year. Plaintiffs said they were deprived of 'their rights to assemble, speak, learn, and organize freely and safely' and left with 'life-altering injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder,' according to a news release about the lawsuit. Stett Holbrook, a spokesperson for the University of California president's office, said the office had been notified of the lawsuit and was 'gathering additional information.' The lawsuit, announced Thursday, was filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. It lists 35 plaintiffs — including students, faculty members and legal observers — who were on campus during the protests last year. In addition to alleging that university officials violated the 'civil rights of all pro-Palestinian protesters' and failed to "address and prevent" discrimination, the lawsuit names the Los Angeles Police Department, the California Highway Patrol and 20 individuals it calls a "rioting mob" as defendants. The plaintiffs claim the law enforcement agencies used 'excessive physical force' and unlawfully arrested protesters. The plaintiffs alleged that on May 2, when more than 200 people were arrested at the encampment, police 'shot powerful kinetic impact projectiles at peoples' heads and faces.' A spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol said the agency is unable to comment because of pending litigation. The Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. The people the lawsuit describes as a rioting mob are defined as those who participated in a "brutal, hours-long riot" against the encampment. Many of them are identified in the complaint as Los Angeles residents but not members of the UCLA community. The campus police chief resigned in May after he drew intense criticism over his response to the April 30 attack on the encampment, when videos taken at the scene showed counterprotesters beating people and hitting people with poles. The complaint alleges that the counterprotesters 'violently assaulted protesters" by "breaking their bones, sexually assaulting them" and "burning their eyes with chemical munitions." The plaintiffs allege in the suit that 'police and private security watched from just a few yards away as the attack raged for hours." "It was immediately apparent that there was not a semblance of protection for the physical safety of the encampment members, and the mob had successfully transformed a peaceful, interfaith community space into a site of horror," the complaint says. Plaintiffs' personal testimony included in the lawsuit describes violence they say counterprotesters and police officers inflicted upon them. A student, Jack Kearns, said a member of the group hit him in the head with "a large piece of wood," rendering him unconscious. Another student, Faraaz Qureshi, said he was hit with rubber bullets four times, causing a severe open fracture in his finger and contusions and abrasions on his chest and back. The lawsuit seeks monetary damage for the physical and psychological injuries it said the protesters experienced. Holbrook said the university has instituted 'system-wide reforms to promote safety and combat harassment and discrimination' on UC campuses. This article was originally published on
Middle East Eye
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
US Justice Department to investigate antisemitism at University of California
The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the University of California (UC) over concerns surrounding antisemitism at the institution. The department says it plans to investigate whether UC's system has been discriminating against professors, staff and other employees who are Jewish by 'allowing an Antisemitic hostile work environment to exist on its campuses'. The action was announced on Wednesday by the newly-formed "Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism", which was set up by the Department of Justice in February following Trump's executive order, "Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism", signed at the end of January. The Task Force announced last week it would visit ten university campuses which have experienced antisemitic incidents since October 2023, including three UC campuses: the University of California Los Angeles; the University of California Berkeley; and the University of Southern California. The University of California is the world's largest public research university system, with ten campuses including UC Berkeley - which has been the site of several protest movements including the genesis of the Free Speech Movement in the US. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "We were recently notified of the Department of Justice's decision to initiate a civil rights investigation in the UC system. We want to be clear: the UC is unwavering in its commitment to combating antisemitism and protecting everyone's civil rights. We continue to take specific steps to foster an environment free of harassment and discrimination for everyone in the university community," UC spokesperson Stett Holbrook told Middle East Eye on Wednesday. Former Fox News commentator and UCLA alumni Leo Terrell, who is leading the task force, said in a press release that there had been "an outbreak of antisemitic incidents at leading institutions of higher education, including at my own alma mater at the UCLA campus of UC". Attorney general Pamela Bondi, who was also quoted in the release, said, 'This Department of Justice will always defend Jewish Americans, protect civil rights, and leverage our resources to eradicate institutional Antisemitism in our nation's universities.' Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, colour, national origin, sex, and religion. Under Title VII, the US Justice Department has the authority to initiate investigations against state and local government employers where it has reason to believe that a 'pattern or practice' of employment discrimination exists. Other universities the task force will be targeting include George Washington University; Harvard University; Johns Hopkins University; New York University; Northwestern University, the University of Minnesota; and Columbia University. Princeton University implicated in Gaza and Sudan wars, report says Read More » Protests against Israel's war on Gaza swept through university campuses soon after the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023. Both the Biden and Trump administrations have sought to characterise anti-Israel and anti-Zionist protests as "antisemitic", leading to congressional hearings grilling university administrators and law enforcement forcefully shutting down protests on campuses. In the wake of the political backlash, universities like New York University and Harvard have scrambled to adopt the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism as they come under federal scrutiny. On Monday, the federal task force announced it was considering halting more than $51.4m in federal contracts with Columbia University due to alleged campus antisemitism. The task force said it would also conduct a comprehensive review of more than $5bn in federal grant commitments to Columbia to ensure the university is in compliance with federal regulations, including its civil rights responsibilities. Since coming into office, US President Donald Trump ordered a pause on federal grants and loans, which has since been blocked by a judge. The Associated Press reported in February that the Trump directive has universities nationwide "scrambling to determine how a funding freeze could affect their research programs, students and faculty".
The Guardian
05-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
University of California rejects claim it was sued for racial discrimination
A newly formed group dedicated to fighting what it calls the covert use of affirmative action in admissions decisions by colleges in the University of California system announced on Monday that it was filing a lawsuit, aiming for an injunction to prohibit any consideration of race in student admissions. 'The University of California has not been served with the filing,' a spokesperson for the UC system, Stett Holbrook, said on Tuesday. 'If served, we will vigorously defend our admission practices' Holbrook added. 'We believe this to be a meritless suit that seeks to distract us from our mission to provide California students with a world class education.' The consideration of race in college admissions was banned in California in 1996, when voters approved the ballot initiative Proposition 209. The group behind the suit, Students Against Racial Discrimination, was founded by Richard Sander, a professor of law at UCLA, and Tim Groseclose, a professor of economics at George Mason University. Although the two professors are the only named members of the 'students' group, their website says that unnamed students are members. 'We include students (and parents of students) who have been rejected by the UC schools even as classmates with substantially lower academic credentials – but a more favorable skin pigmentation – have been accepted,' the site says. The founding members say the group was established in late 2024 to 'restore meritocracy in academia' and say that diversity considerations are still being used by UC schools. The group's website points to two recent headlines to suggest that the UC schools 'pretend' not to consider race in admissions. One is from a New York Times report last August, At M.I.T., Black and Latino Enrollment Drops Sharply After Affirmative Action Ban. That report noted that after the US supreme court's 2023 decision banning affirmative action, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology saw a sharp drop in the percentage of Black, Hispanic, Native American and Pacific Islander students. The second headline was from a Los Angeles Times report a month before: UC sets new record with largest, most diverse class of California students for fall 2024. That report noted: 'The University of California admitted the largest and most diverse class of undergraduates for fall 2024, opening the doors of the vaunted public research institution to more California low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students of color.' 'Why,' Students Against Racial Discrimination demanded to know, 'did the UC's demographics not change like MIT's?' The legal complaint accuses the California system of using 'holistic' approaches first adopted at UCLA to consider Black and Latino applicants. The suit, filed in federal court in Santa Ana, California, asks the court to appoint a court monitor to oversee admission decisions. America First Legal, which was founded by Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, is supporting the suit. UC maintains that adjusted its admissions practices to comply with that law. 'We stand by our admission policies and our record of expanding access for all qualified students.' Holbrook said. 'The UC undergraduate admissions application collects students' race and ethnicity for statistical purposes only. This information is not shared with application reviewers and is not used for admission.'
