UCLA shuts down Bruin Woods camp amid sexual assault and hazing lawsuit

UCLA has opted to shut down the long-running Bruin Woods camp this summer after two students filed a lawsuit alleging sexual assault and hazing.

Dating back to 1985, Bruin Woods is a 10-week camp that hosts up to 80 alumni families per week at a campground in Lake Arrowhead. Along with guests, more than 50 UCLA students are invited to help run the program throughout the summer that fulfill a capacity of roles including boat drivers, counselors and arts and crafts instructors. 

However, this year, the camp will "place a pause" on operations as they look into the allegations named in the lawsuit and work on updating operations.

"We are aware of allegations of inappropriate activity concerning our Bruin Woods program, and continue to look into the matter," said a statement from UCLA. "We are also making changes in an effort to provide an exceptional experience for everyone."

The lawsuit is suing both the University of California regents as well as the summer camp in order to "hold the institution accountable for failing to protect its staff and fostering a toxic and dangerous workplace for young people that has been an open secret for decades," according to Greene Broillet & Wheeler LLP, the firm that filed the lawsuit.

UCLA's Daily Bruin reports that the lawsuit is asking for a jury trial, $50,000 in damages, legal fees and medical bills. It was filed back in October by a pair of students who had previously worked as counselors at the camp, but left early after experiencing abuse by other students who were returning as counselors — several of whom are listed as defendants. 

According to the complaint filed on behalf of the two women, the hazing rituals included physical abuse and sensory deprivation while being forced to wear pillowcases over their heads as senior staffers verbally berated them. The firm added that students received a packing list that told them to bring "fake IDs, condoms and birth control."

"Returning staff members coerced the plaintiffs to get naked at a party, consume excessive alcohol and jump into the lake," Greene Broillet & Wheeler LLP said in a blog on the company website. "Both women say male staffers sexually assaulted them after becoming incapacitated from drinking alcohol."

The law firm said the plaintiffs were traumatized and left the camp shortly after the hazing rituals. The women claimed the camp managers ignored the allegations and even celebrated the camp's "sacred traditions." 

The lawsuit also refers to decades worth of abuse, as detailed in a separate Daly Bruin story from 1999. 

"This has been going on for a long time, and it needs to stop," said Scott Carr, the attorney who filed the suit. "You look at fraternities. For a long time, they were hazing, and a lot of it was kept under the radar because of secrecy, because of coercion. Things people do to prevent it from becoming public."

At the time of filing, UCLA released a statement to the Daily Bruin that said: 

"UCLA has zero tolerance for sexual harassment, sexual violence and hazing. When we learned of the alleged incidents earlier this year, they were referred to our Title IX Office and are being handled according to university policies and procedures. Our top priority is the well-being of our students, staff and families, and we have robust policies in place to review all claims of misconduct."

It was not clear how long administrators believed that the camp would be closed or if they had already begun making plans for families to stay over the summer. 

"We deeply care about our Bruin Woods families, staff and student counselors, and it is disappointing to know that we can't provide this summer tradition this year," the statement from UCLA concluded. 

Lake Arrowhead Lodge resort will remain open for normal operation without Bruin Woods.