Seven UCLA Faculty Members and Academic Appointees Seek Intervention in Federal Antisemitism Lawsuit Against University

LOS ANGELES, April 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven Jewish faculty and academic appointees at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have filed a motion to intervene as plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit, United States of America v. Regents of the University of California, Case No. 2:26-cv-01946, pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

The prospective intervenor plaintiffs represented by Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky & Josefiak, PLLC are Dr. Kira Stein, Dr. Vivien Burt, Dr. Nir Hoftman, Dr. Kamran Shamsa, Dr. Ian Holloway, Director Sarah Blenner, and Dr. Ron Avi Astor. The motion and accompanying proposed complaint were filed on April 14, 2026, before Judge Christina A. Snyder.

Background

On February 24, 2026, the United States Department of Justice filed suit against UCLA alleging a pattern or practice of discrimination against Jewish and Israeli employees by failing to prevent and correct antisemitic workplace discrimination since October 2023, following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel. The government's complaint specifically names Dr. Holloway and Dr. Shamsa as representative aggrieved parties subjected to a hostile work environment and retaliation after filing charges with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The remaining five intervenor plaintiffs—Dr. Stein, Dr. Burt, Dr. Hoftman, Dr. Astor, and Director Blenner—are among the unnamed aggrieved Jewish and Israeli employees also referenced in the government's complaint who have experienced the same pattern of antisemitic discrimination and hostile work environment conditions at UCLA.

Legal Basis for Intervention and Proposed Complaint

The intervenor plaintiffs seek to intervene as of right pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24 and 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(f)(1), which grants aggrieved employees an unconditional statutory right to intervene in Title VII enforcement actions. The proposed complaint asserts claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as state law claims under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, including hostile work environment, disparate treatment, and retaliation.

The proposed complaint alleges a widespread pattern of antisemitic incidents at UCLA following October 7, 2023, including the establishment of an encampment on campus where Jewish individuals were blocked from entering and subjected to antisemitic signs and chants. The complaint further alleges that university officials contributed to a culture that permitted harassment and discrimination against Jewish faculty and appointees.

The intervenor plaintiffs seek declaratory and injunctive relief, compensatory damages, attorneys' fees, and other equitable remedies.

The prospective intervenor plaintiffs are represented by Jason B. Torchinsky, Andrew W. Gould, Linley Wilson, Erica Leavitt, and Alexandria Saquella of Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky & Josefiak, PLLC, and by John B. Thomas and Bradley A. Benbrook of Hicks Thomas LLP in Newport Beach, California.

A hearing on the motion to intervene is tentatively scheduled for May 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before the Honorable Christina A. Snyder at the First Street Courthouse in Los Angeles.

MEDIA CONTACT: HOLTZMAN VOGEL, Andrew Gould, [email protected]

SOURCE Holtzman Vogel