‘Academic freedom’: Students, faculty sue Trump over his crackdown on discriminatory programs

Students, faculty, and staff of the University of California (UC) system, along with educator unions. filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Trump administration over the federal funding cuts affecting the UC system.

Federal agencies have alleged UC campuses failed to address antisemitism and have continued to engage in racial discrimination in their admissions processes. The Trump administration has already cut more than $500 million in federal funding from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and recently proposed a settlement deal with a $1.2 billion price tag. The University of California system itself is not a party to the lawsuit.

“The President’s attempt to require that universities conform to his worldview is un-American and unconstitutional,” the lawsuit reads. “Through a series of actions targeting institutions of higher education, the Trump administration is attempting to coerce colleges and universities across the country to do what the Trump administration cannot do directly itself: infringe on the speech rights of faculty, academic and other staff, and students.”

The court document opens by comparing the Trump administration to the “fascism [that] raged throughout Europe” during World War II, saying the federal government is using “a scheme of targeting, bullying, and unconstitutional actions aimed at institutions of higher education across the country.”

“We will not stand by as the Trump administration destroys one of the largest public university higher education systems in the country and bludgeons academic freedom at the University of California, the heart of the revered free speech movement,” Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, said in the announcement of the lawsuit. “In this historic lawsuit, faculty, students, and staff walk together to fight the authoritarian takeover of our universities. We stand hand in hand to protect not only our individual rights to free expression, debate, and association, but also to safeguard the health, safety, and economic mobility of our communities – all of which is at risk.”

The White House tells Daily Caller News Foundation the suit is a clear sign that federal funds are not serving the public at the university.

“If there’s any sign that federal funds are padding unreasonable overhead fees rather than serving the American public, this is it,” assistant White House press secretary Liz Huston told DCNF on Thursday. “This bunch of victimhood-seeking professors have been laughed out of court once already, but keep trying their failed arguments. The American public deserves responsible stewardship of federal dollars, and the Trump Administration intends to fulfill that promise.”

“While the University of California is not a party to this suit, the UC system is engaged in numerous legal and advocacy efforts to restore and maintain funding for critical research,” a UC spokesman told the DCNF. “Federal cuts to research funding threaten lifesaving biomedical research, hamper U.S. economic competitiveness and jeopardize the health of Americans who depend on the University’s cutting-edge medical science and innovation.”

The AAUP did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

UCLA became infamous for being home to the “Jew Exclusion Zone” following Oct. 7, 2023, when universities across the nation were flooded with anti-Israel protests. The school recently settled a lawsuit over the event to the tune of nearly $6.5 million.

The university has also openly publicized its plan for skirting the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action policies, boasting about its method of outreach toward nonwhite students to allow the school to reach its desired racial ratio of students. The Department of Justice (DOJ) in March opened an investigation into UCLA and other California schools over the allegations.

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