UCLA Faces Scrutiny Over DEI Spending and Controversial Remarks

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is under scrutiny for its spending on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as well as for remarks made by faculty members that have sparked controversy. A recent report by the watchdog organization Open the Books claims that UCLA has spent at least $3 million of taxpayer money on DEI programs while highlighting professors who have made inflammatory comparisons between Israeli rhetoric and Nazi Germany.

The report coincides with the Trump administration’s demand for UCLA to settle discrimination claims amounting to $1 billion. The university has been accused of failing to protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian demonstrations following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel. According to UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk, the administration has frozen approximately $584 million in federal funding as a result.

Controversial Faculty Comments

Among those cited in the report is Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl, a law professor known for his expertise in Sharia and Islamic law. In late 2023, he was filmed making remarks that drew parallels between Israel and Nazi Germany. He stated, “The Germans blamed the Jews for their own slaughter. The rhetoric of the Germans is indistinguishable from the rhetoric that Israel uses about Palestinians.” He further equated the treatment of Palestinians to how the Nazis viewed Jews, saying they were regarded as “subhuman.”

Another faculty member, history professor Robin Kelley, has also attracted attention for his statements linking Zionism to white supremacy. In a 2017 lecture at the University of Toronto, he stated that the emergence of Zionism in Israel represented “domination by the peoples, through colonial domination.” Kelley has been involved with the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, which is part of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

In response to these remarks, UCLA has emphasized its commitment to free speech while also acknowledging the potential consequences of divisive rhetoric. A spokesperson for UCLA, Mary Osako, stated, “Americans depend on the research pioneered at UCLA,” and noted that the university has taken steps to combat antisemitism on campus.

Funding and DEI Initiatives

Open the Books highlighted that UCLA has received approximately $6.1 million in grants from the Department of Education’s Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) program since 2020. The report also pointed out that, in addition to the $3 million spent on DEI initiatives, UCLA received funding for various projects aimed at increasing participation among underrepresented groups in fields such as mathematics and computer science.

The university has faced backlash for these expenditures, with Open the Books CEO Jon Hart stating, “We support free expression and viewpoint diversity, but faddish, divisive concepts like anticolonialism and antiracism don’t need taxpayer funds sustaining them.” He argued that the rhetoric on campuses like UCLA has “caught up with reality with damaging consequences.”

Despite the criticism, UCLA has taken steps to address antisemitism, including the interim suspension of groups like Students for Justice in Palestine following incidents of vandalism. The university has also tightened rules for protests and collaborated with local law enforcement to investigate violations of campus policies.

UCLA’s funding from taxpayers is significant, with the institution reportedly receiving at least $4.3 billion between 2021 and June 2025. This financial backdrop raises questions about the allocation of resources in the context of rising tensions on campus related to political and social issues.

As debates continue over the university’s handling of these matters, the implications for academic freedom, funding, and campus safety remain at the forefront of discussions.