Federal agency issues cause determinations in all three faculty charges

CHICAGO, August 18, 2026 — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has found reasonable cause to believe that the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) discriminated against three faculty members — and a class of employees — because of their religion, Judaism, and/or their national origin, Israeli, by subjecting them to harassment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The EEOC’s Chicago District Office determined that the evidence gathered in its investigation established reasonable cause to believe the harassment occurred from at least January 2022 at the University’s Chicago campus. The Commission issued cause findings in all three charges.

The determinations arise from charges filed by three UIC faculty members, each represented by separate counsel:

• Workplace Law Partners, P.C., Chicago;
• Loftus & Eisenberg; and
• Dhillon Law Group.
  
  

All three professors were supported in pursuing their charges by StandWithUs, a nonprofit non partisan education organization dedicated to combating antisemitism, including in the workplace. StandWithUs Saidoff Law, which is dedicated to combating antisemitism, including in the workplace, supported all three professors by serving as legal consultant in these matters.

“Three separate charges from Jewish professors in three different UIC departments, three separate law firms, and the same result: the EEOC found reasonable cause in every one,” said Deedee Bitran, Senior Counsel and Director of Pro Bono at StandWithUs Saidoff Law. “That consistency matters. It shows this wasn’t a personality conflict or a misunderstanding. Rather, this exposes systemic antisemitism that the university had every opportunity to address and didn’t. The faculty members did what the law asks of them. Now it’s UIC’s turn.”

“These determinations confirm what our client has said from the beginning — that Jewish and Israeli members of the University community were left to endure a hostile environment the institution failed to address,” said David Fish, Founding Partner of Workplace Law Partners, P.C. “An EEOC finding of reasonable cause is a serious step, and it is rare. No one should have

to choose between their job and their identity. I’m grateful the EEOC took these concerns seriously.”

Matt Sarelson of Dhillon Law Group added, “When three faculty members represented by three separate firms all receive cause findings on the same set of facts, this can no longer be dismissed as an isolated complaint. We intend to pursue full accountability.”

Gail Eisenberg of Loftus & Eisenberg added, “Every university has a legal duty to protect its faculty from harassment, and the EEOC has now found reasonable cause to believe that UIC failed to meet that duty. We hope these findings mark the beginning of meaningful change.”

Under EEOC procedures, a finding of reasonable cause is followed by an invitation to conciliation — a confidential process in which the Commission seeks to resolve the violations it has identified. Available remedies can include injunctive and corrective relief, back pay, restoration of lost benefits, and compensatory and punitive damages. If conciliation does not resolve the matter, the charging parties may pursue their claims in federal court.

An EEOC determination of reasonable cause is an administrative finding by the Commission; it is not a final adjudication of liability by a court.