Cal apologizes to Israeli teacher; lecturer suspended for Gaza 'political activism'
Cal apologizes to Israeli teacher; lecturer suspended for Gaza 'political activism'
A dance professor who was denied a job at the University of California, Berkeley because she is Israeli will receive an apology and monetary damages and a pro-Palestinian computer science lecturer was suspended following allegations that he engaged in political advocacy in the classroom.
BERKELEY, Calif. - A dance professor who was denied a job at the University of California, Berkeley because she is Israeli will receive an apology and monetary damages as part of a settlement announced on Wednesday.
The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law said it reached the agreement on behalf of Yael Nativ, who was previously rejected for a teaching position. Under the settlement, Nativ will receive $60,000 in damages and an invitation to teach at UC Berkeley during a semester of her choosing.
The university also acknowledged that its actions violated its own anti-discrimination policies.
In a statement, UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons said: "I respect and appreciate Dr. Nativ’s decision to settle this case. She is owed the apology I will provide on behalf of our campus. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Nativ back to Berkeley to teach again."
The case comes as UC Berkeley faces a federal investigation into allegations of antisemitism on campus, part of a broader national review of how universities are handling discrimination and harassment complaints.
Meanwhile, UC Berkeley has suspended a computer science lecturer without pay for the upcoming spring semester following allegations that he engaged in political advocacy in the classroom, school officials confirmed this week, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
UC Berkeley’s Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Benjamin Hermalin determined that Peyrin Kao, a lecturer in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Department, violated university policy by using class time to discuss the war in Gaza and his own political activism, which administrators said amounted to "political indoctrination" on matters unrelated to course material.
The suspension, which covers the Spring 2026 semester, will be without pay, according to university officials. They allege that Kao’s references to his pro-Palestinian advocacy during class sessions and his widely publicized 38-day hunger strike over the Gaza conflict crossed the line of permissible classroom discussion under UC policy, which bars instructors from using class time for political advocacy.
Kao has challenged the decision, saying the disciplinary action violates academic freedom and suppresses pro-Palestinian speech on campus.