The Education Department has opened a review of the University of California, Berkeley, following a violent protest at a Nov. 10 Turning Point USA event.
The review is being carried out by the Office of Federal Student Aid. It will determine whether UC Berkeley violated the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, which makes federally funded colleges meet specific campus safety and crime reporting standards.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement that the department is acting because of concerns about the university's response to the protest.
"Just two months after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was brutally assassinated on a college campus, UC Berkeley allowed a protest of a Turning Point USA event on its grounds to turn unruly and violent, jeopardizing the safety of its students and staff," McMahon said.
She said the review is meant to ensure the school fulfills its federal responsibilities.
"Accordingly, the Department is conducting a review of UC Berkeley to ensure that it has the procedures in place to uphold its legal obligation to maintain campus safety and security," she said.
McMahon said the inquiry focuses on safety reporting requirements.
"This is not about students' First Amendment rights to protest peacefully," she said.
She added that the Clery Act is designed to guarantee transparent disclosure of campus crime data.
"This is about ensuring accurate and transparent reporting of crime statistics to the campus community and guaranteeing that every student can safely participate in educational programs and activities," McMahon said.
"The Department will vigorously investigate this matter to ensure that a recipient of federal funding is not allowing its students to be at risk," she added.
Federal officials noted that UC Berkeley has faced previous Clery Act issues. The university paid a $2.4 million fine in 2020 for misclassifying more than 1,100 crimes and failing to maintain complete public crime logs.
Under that settlement, UC Berkeley agreed to retrain its campus security force and revise its safety procedures and reporting forms.
The department has continued monitoring the school, including on-site reviews.
The new review will cover ongoing compliance matters and the Nov. 10 incident. As part of the process, the department has ordered UC Berkeley to provide a wide range of documents within 30 days.
Requested items include the university's 2025 Annual Security Report and any updated versions.
The department also demanded crime "audit trail" data from 2022 through 2024, arrest and disciplinary referral records, police activity logs, daily crime logs, and information on all contracted security services.
The Clery Act requires colleges to publish an Annual Security Report with crime statistics and detailed safety procedures. The department may impose fines or mandate policy changes if a school is found to be out of compliance.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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