Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur, a Democrat from California, has requested an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education into potential civil rights violations at UCLA. This request comes after an eight-day pro-Palestinian encampment related to the Israel-Hamas conflict was dismantled, resulting in 210 arrests on May 2.
Zbur specifically called for an inquiry into possible violations of the Title VI Act at UCLA, which prohibits discrimination based on race. He expressed concern about the safety and civil rights of Jewish and Israeli-American students on campus, citing incidents where protestors allegedly denied them access to certain locations for identifying as “Zionists.”
In a statement on his website, Zbur criticized the university for allowing the situation to deteriorate and failing to protect Jewish students from physical and verbal aggression. He also called on the UC Board of Regents to conduct an independent investigation into security failures and delayed law enforcement response during the protests.
UC President Michael Drake has since announced that the school has initiated an investigation into the matter. Additionally, other state lawmakers, including Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher and Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, have condemned the violence and vandalism that occurred during the protests, advocating for consequences such as the loss of financial aid for students who engage in violent or criminal behavior.
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