AJC Welcomes Vindication of UCLA Student Who Visited Israel

LOS ANGELES, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC (American Jewish Committee) welcomes the UCLA Judicial Board decision that Lauren Rogers did no wrong by participating in an AJC Project Interchange educational seminar in Israel.

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) had brought the action against the UCLA junior after the Student Council on which she served rejected a resolution on divestment from companies doing business with Israel. The SJP, hell-bent on fostering a climate of hatred on campus towards Israel, had accused Rogers of violating a conflict of interest "code of ethics" by participating in the vote after her visit to Israel. The Judicial Board absolved her of any such violation.

"We are pleased with the Judicial Board decision," said Dean Schramm, President of AJC's Los Angeles Region.  "However, we are deeply troubled that the UCLA Administration has abdicated its responsibility to its students. Ms. Rogers was subjected for months to a hurtful and threatening environment on the very campus she has served with distinction and to which she remains deeply committed."  The Daily Bruin gave Rogers high reviews for her performance in executing her duties as an elected member of the Student Council.

The Judicial Board decision comes six days after the student run tribunal held a three hour hearing on the matter on May 15.  "While the members of the Judicial Board proved to be conscientious, Ms. Rogers should not have been hauled before it in the first place to answer to this baseless complaint and during mid-terms examinations no less," said Schramm.

Moreover, in the run-up to last week's student council elections, SJP, along with the Muslim Students Association, Jewish Voice for Peace and other like-minded groups asked candidates to sign a so-called "ethics pledge" stating that if elected they would not participate in trips by certain pro-Israel groups. No other groups or issues were singled out, changing the singular and divisive anti-Israel focus of their campaign.  AJC expressed outrage over SJP's attempt to suppress student educational trips to Israel.

AJC urges UCLA student leaders and administration officials to take meaningful actions, and to do so expeditiously, to protect students from harassment and personal, vengeful attacks. "No student should be allowed to be treated this way," said Schramm.  "We hope the statements by UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and UC President Janet Napolitano, issued after the May 15th Judicial Board hearing, will lead to concrete steps to ensure that vindictive campaigns are recognized as the real violations of campus ethics."

For more than 30 years, AJC's Project Interchange has exposed a wide range of emerging leaders, including college students, to the diversity and complexity of Israel, including, it should be noted, meetings in Ramallah and elsewhere in the West Bank with Palestinian leaders.

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SOURCE American Jewish Committee