The Trump administration has proposed a $1.2 billion settlement with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) over allegations of civil rights violations and antisemitism. The proposal seeks to overhaul various aspects of campus life, including hiring, admissions, sports, scholarships, and definitions of gender, aligning them with President Trump’s conservative agenda.
The Department of Justice’s demands, outlined in a 28-page letter, require UCLA to publicly declare its agreement with key elements of President Trump’s vision for higher education. In return, the government would release approximately $500 million in suspended research grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy to UCLA.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the proposal has sparked ongoing negotiations between University of California leaders and the Department of Justice. UC President James B. Milliken has criticized the demands, describing them as “one of the gravest threats in UC’s 157-year history.” Governor Gavin Newsom labeled the demands as “extortion” and vowed to “stand tall and push back.”
The settlement proposal follows allegations that UCLA failed to address antisemitism complaints, though these make up only a small part of the federal demands. The letter also calls for UCLA to hire an outside firm to survey Jewish students’ experiences with antisemitism.
The Trump administration’s proposal has drawn criticism for potentially violating UCLA’s mission and values. The document has been criticized for errors, such as misnaming UCLA’s top administrator and referencing another university’s medical school.
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