UC President Yudof Rejects State Assembly Resolution Condemning Campus Antisemitism
Incident: The University of California rejected the unanimously passed California State Assembly bill, HR 35, which condemns antisemitism in California’s universities.
AMCHA’s Response: We wrote to President Yudof to find out why the University of California would reject HR 35. President Yudof responded that the University would not accept HR 35 due to 1st amendment and academic freedom considerations. We then wrote back to him, pointing out the double standard that both he and the University have when dealing with incidents of antisemitism as compared to all other incidents of racist bigotry.
Correspondence Regarding HR 35
August 6th, 2012 California State Assembly Condemns Anti-Semitism (Resolution HR 35)
The California State Assembly unanimously passes Resolution HR 35, which, “unequivocally condemns all forms of intolerance, including anti-Semitism, on public postsecondary educational institution campuses in California.”
President Yudof wrote to the author of Resolution HR 35, Assembly Member Linda Halderman, expressing that the UC System would not support the resolution as it was currently written. President Yudof instead offers some suggested amendments.
In response to reports that the UC leadership had rejected Resolution HR 35, the California State Assembly’s unanimously-approved resolution condemning anti-Semitism in California’s colleges and universities, the AMCHA Initiative sent President Yudof a letter asking for clarification of the University’s position.
President Yudof responded to the AMCHA Initiative letter asking for clarification of the UC’s position on HR 35. He reaffirmed that the University will not support the resolution as it is currently written due to 1st Amendment and academic freedom considerations. He objected to two of the resolution’s recommendations and restated the suggested amendments that he sent to Assembly Member Halderman on August 13, 2012.
The AMCHA Initiative responded to President Yudof’s clarification letter. They detailed why his rejection of two of the resolution’s recommendations is deeply concerning. They also pointed out the double standard that seems to exist, as there have been incidents of racist bigotry in which university officials, including President Yudof, without any concern for the 1st amendment, acted in complete accord with the recommendations that they are now disputing.