Judge bars Trump from fining University of California over discrimination : NPR

The Trump administration cannot fine the University of California or sharply cut federal funding for the school system over allegations it engages in anti-Semitism or other forms of discrimination, a federal judge ruled late Friday in a sharp ruling.

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin in San Francisco issued a preliminary injunction preventing the administration from revoking UC funding based on alleged discrimination without notifying affected faculty members and holding hearings, among other requirements.

Over the summer, the administration demanded UCLA pay $1.2 billion to restore frozen research funding and ensure eligibility for future funding after accusing the university of allowing anti-Semitism on campus. UCLA was the first public university to come under attack from the administration over allegations of civil rights violations.

He also froze or suspended federal funding over similar claims against private colleges, including Columbia University.

In her ruling, Lin said unions and other groups representing UC faculty, students and employees provided “overwhelming evidence” that the Trump administration “engaged in a concerted campaign to drive out 'woke,' 'leftist,' and 'socialist' views from our nation's leading universities.”

“Agency officials and the President and Vice President have repeatedly and publicly announced plans to initiate civil rights investigations into prominent universities to justify cutting off federal funding, with the goal of bringing the universities to their knees and forcing them to change their ideological orientation,” Lin wrote.

She added: “There is no doubt that this is the scenario that is currently being played out at the University of California.”

At the University of California, where a series of civil rights investigations are underway, she found that the administration engaged in “coercive and punitive actions in violation of the First and Tenth Amendments.”

Messages sent to the White House and the U.S. Justice Department after Friday's close were not immediately returned. Lin's order will remain in effect indefinitely.

UC President James B. Milliken said the size of UCLA's fine would destroy the UC system, whose campuses rank among the best public colleges in the country.

The University of California is negotiating a settlement with the administration and is not a party to the lawsuit facing Lin, who has been nominated by President Joe Biden, a Democrat. In a statement, the university system said it “remains committed to protecting the mission, governance and academic freedom of the university.”

The administration has demanded that UCLA adhere to its views on gender identity and establish a process to ensure that international students will not be admitted if they may engage in anti-American, anti-Western or anti-Semitic “riot or harassment,” among other demands outlined in a settlement proposal unveiled in October.

The administration previously struck deals with Brown University for $50 million and Columbia University for $221 million.

Lin cited statements from UC faculty and staff that the administration's actions prompted them to stop teaching or researching topics they “feared were too 'left-wing' or 'woke'.”

Her injunction also prohibits the administration from “conditioning the provision or continuation of federal funding on the University of California agreement on any measures that would violate Plaintiffs' First Amendment rights.”

She cited attempts to force UC universities to screen international students based on “anti-Western” or “anti-American” views, limit research and teaching, or adopt specific definitions of “male” and “female” as examples of such measures.

President Donald Trump has condemned elite colleges as overrun by liberalism and anti-Semitism.

His administration has opened investigations at dozens of universities, alleging they have failed to stop the use of racial preferences in violation of civil rights law. The Republican administration says diversity, equity and inclusion efforts discriminate against white and Asian American students.