A Petition for Consideration alleging antisemitic hiring policies by the Cultural Affairs Commission (CAC) was filed last week with the Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) by Bella Brannon, Editor-in-Chief of Ha’Am. The petition has been granted and will proceed to preliminary hearings, marking the first USAC Judicial hearing in at least two years.
The petition, concerning the current Cultural Affairs Commissioner Alicia Verdugo, alleges that Verdugo rejected all Jewish applicants during the Fall 2024 admission cycle for CAC staff.
In a WhatsApp message submitted by Brannon as evidence in the Appendix of the case, Verdugo warned CAC staff that “lots of zionists are applying” and to “please do your research when you look at applicants.” Verdugo promised to share a “no hire list” during the CAC staff retreat.
Brannon’s petition alleges that all students who mentioned Judaism in their applications for CAC staff were rejected despite no mention of Zionism nor connection to Israel.
This is not the first case against Verdugo regarding antisemitic discrimination. The CAC Commissioner was accused of not allowing Jewish students to attend a CAC-hosted event in October. Verdugo’s actions directly contradict the CAC’s mission statement to provide programming “that is accessible to all students.”
Verdugo’s former Chief of Staff, Jordan Felder, filed a petition of discrimination against Verdugo as well, which the Judicial Board denied on Monday, citing insufficient evidence of discrimination.
An email sent on Tuesday from Chief Justice Mithra Venkatesh confirms that Branon’s requested preliminary hearing will take place the following week, Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 4 pm, on Zoom. During the hearing, Venkatesh will consider whether Verdugo has violated Article 1, Section E in the UCLA USAC Bylaws, which states USAC “shall not support or affiliate with any organization which legally discriminates on the basis of: race, creed, sex (except as exempt from Title IX), age, national origin, religion, physical handicap, or sexual orientation.”
According to Brannon, Verdugo broke not only USAC guidelines but Federal discrimination law through their hiring policies.
The closed hearing will include only official members of the Judicial Board, Brannon, Verdugo, and their respective representatives. Brannon has opted to be represented by Eli Tsives, a second-year political science student at UCLA.
By serving as counsel on this case, Tsives hopes to “help bring the people responsible to justice and set the precedent that UCLA will not tolerate antisemitism.”
Brannon continued noting, “we have a preponderance of evidence ready to present, including the statement Verdugo provided to Ha’Am that effectively reinforces the allegations.” She continued, “I hope for a fair trial and trust that, if our concerns are heard, appropriate action will be taken to remove Verdugo from their position.”
Cover image by Megan Freeman
