US Department of Education probes anti-Semitism complaints at UC Berkeley

BERKELEY, California (AP) — US officials are investigating anti-Semitism allegations at the University of California, Berkeley.

The Los Angeles Times says recent graduates claim university officials created a hostile campus climate for Jewish students by failing to curb anti-Israel protests.

They say a protest against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians was one of several February campus events that stoked anti-Semitic hate speech.

The US Department of Education’s civil rights office confirmed this week that it is investigating the allegations.

University spokesman Dan Mogulof says the protests were constitutionally protected speech and officials made efforts to maintain a safe and inclusive climate.

Joel Siegal, one of two attorneys who filed the complaint, says activists with the Muslim Student Association and Students for Justice in Palestine went beyond protected political protest.