CSWAC Member Anna Markowitz on UC Lawsuit Challenging Federal Research Cuts
From LA Times | Read Full Article Here
A coalition of 21 unions and faculty associations representing more than 100,000 University of California employees has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging federal actions that threaten UC funding and autonomy. The suit responds to the administration’s proposed $1.2-billion fine against UCLA and suspension of research grants, alleging these measures constitute financial coercion aimed at enforcing a conservative ideological agenda on UC campuses.
Filed in federal court in San Francisco, the complaint claims the government’s actions violate constitutional protections, including free speech, due process, and the 10th Amendment, which reserves powers not granted to the federal government to the states. The suit argues that federal pressure to overhaul UCLA policies on hiring, admissions, sports, scholarships, and diversity imperils thousands of jobs and undermines the university’s educational mission.
Anna Markowitz, member of the Center for the Study of Women Advisory Committee (CSWAC) and president of the UCLA Faculty Association was a key voice in the case. “Today, we join the workers of the UC in standing up against federal extortion, job loss, attacks on our students, bans on speech and expression — and against any effort to dismantle core public values that have made the UC great”, she said.
Supporters of the lawsuit include UC faculty, academic workers, nurses, and other employees across the 10-campus system. They highlight that federal cuts to research funding threaten medical science, innovation, and patient care. A recent injunction already restored $81 million in frozen National Science Foundation grants, with hearings pending on $500 million in NIH funding for UCLA.
While UC leaders continue negotiations with the federal government, the lawsuit signals a unified stand by faculty and staff to defend the university’s independence, protect employees’ rights, and preserve the integrity of research and education at UCLA and throughout the UC system.
