In this guide7 sections
In July 2025, Columbia University agreed to pay $21 million to resolve federal charges that Jewish employees faced harassment on its campus after October 7, 2023. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) called it its largest public settlement in nearly 20 years. If you face harassment at work in California because of your religion, ancestry or national origin, state and federal law protect you.
Key takeaways
- Columbia agreed to pay $21 million into a claims fund for employees who may have faced antisemitic harassment.
- In California, the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) bars harassment based on religious creed, ancestry, national origin and race, and the harassment ban applies to employers with even one employee.
- Your employer must take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment and can’t retaliate against you for reporting it (Gov. Code §12940(h), (j), (k)).
- You generally have three years to file with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), and 300 days to file a federal charge with the EEOC.
What the EEOC announced
According to the EEOC’s July 25, 2025 announcement, its charges, including a Commissioner’s Charge filed in 2024, alleged that Columbia engaged in a pattern or practice of harassment of Jewish employees based on national origin, religion and/or race since at least October 7, 2023, in violation of Title VII. Columbia resolved the charges “without admission of liability” as part of a broader agreement with the federal government.
The $21 million went into a class claims fund. In December 2025, the EEOC said the claims process had opened for current and former employees, including student employees, who believed they faced harassment between October 7, 2023 and July 23, 2025 because of their Jewish faith, Jewish ancestry or Israeli national origin, or who objected to or complained about it. The agency said it expected the claims process to close in June 2026.
How California law protects you from religious and ethnic harassment
Federal Title VII covers employers with 15 or more employees; California’s FEHA goes further. Gov. Code §12940 bars discrimination because of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry and other protected traits by employers with five or more employees, and it bars harassment by employers that regularly employ even one person.
Harassment can include slurs, “jokes,” symbols, mocking religious practices or dress, exclusion and threats. You don’t have to lose your job or pay to have a claim; under §12940(j)(1), loss of tangible job benefits isn’t required to establish harassment. The conduct generally must be severe or pervasive enough to change your working conditions, but a single serious incident can be enough in some cases. See our page on hostile work environments.
Your employer must take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment and discrimination (§12940(k)), and it is responsible for coworker or customer harassment it knew or should have known about and failed to correct. Religious creed protections also cover religious dress, grooming and practices. Our guide to religious accommodation at work explains those rights, and national origin discrimination covers ancestry and language issues.
A hypothetical example
David works at a Los Angeles tech company. After he mentions he observes the Sabbath, coworkers start leaving antisemitic memes in a team chat and stop inviting him to project meetings. He reports it to his manager, nothing changes, and a month later he receives his first negative review.
David may have claims for harassment, failure to prevent harassment and, because the review followed his complaint, retaliation. His screenshots and the date of his report would be key evidence.
What to do if you are being harassed
- Write it down. Record dates, what happened and who saw it.
- Save evidence. Keep screenshots and messages somewhere you control, consistent with your employer’s confidentiality rules.
- Report it in writing. Follow your employer’s complaint policy and keep a copy. Retaliation for reporting is unlawful under §12940(h); see retaliation claims in California.
- Watch the deadlines. A CRD complaint is generally due within three years of the last harm, and after you get a right-to-sue notice you have one year to file a lawsuit. An EEOC charge is generally due within 300 days in California. Our guide to choosing between the CRD and the EEOC compares the options.
Frequently asked questions
Is antisemitism covered by employment discrimination laws?
Yes. Depending on the facts, harassment of Jewish employees can be religious, ancestry, national origin or race discrimination under Title VII and FEHA, as the EEOC’s Columbia charges alleged.
Does it matter if the harasser is a coworker, not a supervisor?
Your employer can still be responsible if it knew or should have known about coworker harassment and failed to act promptly to stop it.
Can I file with both the CRD and the EEOC?
Generally, yes. The two agencies share complaints under a work-sharing arrangement, so filing with one is usually treated as filing with both, but check the specific instructions when you file.
What can I recover?
Depending on the facts, FEHA remedies can include back pay, reinstatement, emotional distress damages and, in some cases, punitive damages.
Talk to a California employment lawyer
Employees First Labor Law represents workers exclusively in harassment, discrimination and retaliation cases across California. We offer free virtual consultations to review what happened and your deadlines. Contact us or call (310) 853-3461.
This article is general information about California law as of 2026, not legal advice for your situation. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
