Former UCSB Student Body President Sues School over Alleged Anti-Semitic Harassment

In response to alleged anti-Semitism on UC Santa Barbara’s campus dating back to 2023, former student body president Tessa Veksler is suing the university and the UC Board of Regents, alleging they failed to protect her from discrimination and abuse and even sided with hostile protesters who opposed her.

The new lawsuit, filed in December 2025, states that Veksler suffered months of harassment while she was a student at UCSB. It was catalyzed by a post on her personal Instagram account about the October 7, 2023, attacks by terrorist group Hamas that killed 1,200 people in Israel.

In her post, Veksler condemned the attack and said she stood with her “Jewish community/neighbors” and “with the people of Israel.” The complaint emphasizes that she did not speak ill of Palestinians or residents of Gaza and “decried the murder of innocents and the senseless violence of the attack.” 

But after that, Veksler — a daughter of Soviet Jewish refugees — faced a “months-long campaign” of harassment from students who labeled her as a “Zionist” and accused her of supporting genocide, according to the lawsuit. Tensions were rising on college campuses across the nation at the time, as the war in Gaza was escalating.

“UCSB refused to assist Tessa in protecting herself from these ongoing attacks and harassment, choosing instead to leave her to face the anti-Semitic mob alone — and increasingly vulnerable — for months on end,” states the complaint, filed on December 11 in California federal court by attorneys from Ellis George LLP.

“Indeed, the University and its representatives actually made the situation worse, and the time has now come for UCSB to answer for its unspeakable complicity.”

In February, 2024, signs were plastered around the on-campus MultiCultural Center, where Veksler’s office was located. Handwritten messages included “Zionists not welcome,” and the more-targeted “You can run but you can’t hide, Tessa Veksler!” 

Other signs stuck to the walls read, “F*** a ‘neutral’ A.S. President” and some were spread on social media, including the MultiCultural Center’s official Instagram page, with the caption, “In case we aren’t clear, let us spell it out.”

Veksler’s lawsuit characterized the incident as the exclusion of Jewish or Zionist-identifying students in what is supposed to be an inclusive space. It further accused the University of allowing it to take place and belittling it as “valid criticism of a political figure.” 

In an Instagram response to the signage at the time, Veksler wrote, “I do not feel safe on campus. How can Jewish students feel safe at UCSB when they see a Jewish leader being explicitly targeted?”

Veksler claims that she first alerted administrators to her ongoing harassment in December 2023 but they responded slowly or not at all. The signage eventually did result in the temporary closure of the MultiCultural Center and promises from the University to investigate the incident. However, Veksler told the Independent in May 2024 that the administration failed to hold anyone accountable. “The administration wouldn’t protect me,” she said. 

In addition to the signage, Veksler’s photo was found slashed on a student government poster, among other alleged attacks on social media — including a post sharing her private cell phone number — vandalism, and threats. 

At one point, the lawsuit claims, Veksler approached a group of student protesters and a masked UCSB staff member, identified as “DOE 1,” to have a dialogue. The complaint alleges that the staff member sided with protesters, and “purposefully incited the crowd’s anti-Semitic animus” toward Veksler. 

Students also attempted a recall of Veksler’s position as student body president, but it was ultimately unsuccessful.

“Even Tessa taking a simple walk through the UCSB campus descended into an indulgence of that assault and abuse, with anti-Semitic crowds wielding blowhorns and screaming epithets and insults at her,” the complaint states.

It accuses the University of violating Veksler’s rights under equal protection laws and of religious discrimination. One of the costs, the complaint claims, was the full education she paid for, as she had to “avoid large swaths” of campus during the 2023-24 school year to dodge harassers. She is seeking damages and injunctive relief and is demanding a jury trial.

“The damages Tessa suffered as a result of UCSB’s unlawful failures and collaboration against her with anti-Semitic campus mobs are deep and ongoing,” the lawsuit states.

“Beyond being deprived of part of the education she paid UCSB to receive, Tessa endured and continues to suffer excruciating trauma — including post-traumatic stress disorder — from the specter of entirely preventable physical violence, which but for UCSB’s actions she faced directly and repeatedly.”

Kiki Reyes, a spokesperson for UCSB, said the university cannot discuss specifics of individual cases, but that “the campus engages in outreach and offers resources and support services to students in addition to conducting investigations.” She said that the university police department also meets with students who report issues to develop individualized safety plans. 

“UC Santa Barbara condemns anti-Semitism in the strongest possible terms,” the university said in an official statement. “Anti-Semitism and discrimination, including any efforts to intimidate or harass members of our community, has absolutely no place on our campus. 

“The campus thoroughly investigates all reports of discrimination and harassment and takes appropriate actions to hold perpetrators accountable. We will continue to do all we can to prevent and address antisemitism and support students affected.”

Since the October 7 attack by Hamas and the Israeli military’s subsequent attacks on Gaza  — inciting much discontent among American students — many college campuses have been accused of allowing an increase in incidents involving anti-Semitism and Islamophobia to occur on school grounds. 

Veksler’s alleged abuse occurred at a time when protests were erupting at multiple UC campuses — primarily criticizing the mass casualties in Gaza — including rallies, encampments, and, on UC Santa Barbara’s campus in particular, even the short-lived occupation of a lecture hall. 

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened a discrimination investigation into UCSB and four other UC campuses in response to several complaints alleging discrimination and harassment in 2024. 

Before pursuing a full-blown lawsuit, Veksler herself first filed a federal civil rights complaint against the University in May 2024, telling the Independent, “The administration didn’t have to personally participate in anti-Semitism to be liable — but they allowed it.”

The Department of Education reached an agreement with the UC system later that year after concluding the schools did not respond effectively to complaints of discrimination or harassment during the war-related protests, subsequently requiring the UCs to revise complaint procedures, review past incidents, and provide more training to staff on how to address discrimination and harassment.