UC Berkeley and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law have reached a settlement with Dr. Yael Nativ, an Israeli researcher who brought forward claims of discrimination against the university. The agreement follows a lawsuit alleging that a department chair at UC Berkeley declined Dr. Nativ’s application to teach because she was Israeli, a claim supported by an internal investigation conducted by UC Berkeley’s Office for the Prevention of Harassment & Discrimination (OPHD).
The OPHD found that Dr. Nativ was discriminated against in violation of the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, which includes protections based on national origin and citizenship status. In response to these findings and as part of the settlement, UC Berkeley has agreed to publicly acknowledge the policy violation and reaffirm its commitment to strictly enforce anti-discrimination policies.
Under the terms of the settlement, UC Berkeley will continue enforcing its anti-discrimination policy and “respond promptly and equitably to reports” of prohibited conduct as defined in that policy. This includes taking “appropriate action to stop, prevent, and remedy the Prohibited Conduct and, when appropriate, to impose corrective action/disciplinary measures.”
Dr. Nativ will receive a personal apology from Chancellor Rich Lyons and $60,000 in monetary damages; she has announced her intention to donate part of this amount to charity. Additionally, UC Berkeley will invite Dr. Nativ to teach the course she was previously denied during any semester she chooses.
Chancellor Rich Lyons stated: “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 university also noted that there were no concerns about Dr. Nativ’s teaching abilities and expressed appreciation for her willingness to return despite previous events.
