reported<\/a> that $200 million in grants were at stake. (The Justice Department declined to comment.)<\/p>\nThe federal government\u2019s decision means \u201chundreds of grants may be lost, adversely affecting the lives and life-changing work of UCLA researchers, faculty and staff,\u201d Frenk said. \u201cIn its notice to us, the federal government claims antisemitism and bias as the reasons. This far-reaching penalty of defunding life-saving research does nothing to address any alleged discrimination.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe share the goal of eradicating antisemitism across society,\u201d the chancellor said. \u201cAntisemitism has no place on our campus, nor does any form of discrimination. We recognize that we can improve, and I am committed to doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frenk said UCLA has taken \u201crobust actions\u201d to make the campus safe and welcoming, including creating an Initiative to Combat Antisemitism.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese initiatives are deeply personal to me. My paternal grandparents left Germany in the 1930s with my father, who was 6 years old, and my aunt, who was 4,\u201d he stated. \u201cThey were driven out of their home by an intolerable climate of antisemitism and hate. Members of my family who did not make that decision perished. My wife is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, whose family was murdered in the concentration camps.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frenk said he was drawn to UCLA because of its tolerance.<\/p>\n
\u201cFederal research grants are not handouts. Our researchers compete fiercely for these grants, proposing work that the government itself deems vital to the country\u2019s health, safety and economic future,\u201d he said. \u201cGrants lead to medical breakthroughs, economic advancement, improved national security and global competitiveness. These are national priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Justice Department found recently that UCLA is guilty<\/a> of \u201cdeliberate indifference\u201d to threats against Jews and violations of their rights during an antisemitic encampment in spring 2024. \u201cOur investigation into the University of California system has found concerning evidence of systemic antisemitism at UCLA that demands severe accountability from the institution,\u201d Pamela Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, stated on July 29.<\/p>\nThe Justice Department \u201cwill force UCLA to pay a heavy price for putting Jewish Americans at risk and continue our ongoing investigations into other campuses in the UC system,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
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