One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Alexandra Wallace Not Disciplined By UCLA, Leaving School
According to free speech advocates and some legal pros, UCLA was correct in the decision to not discipline student Alexandra Wallace for hercontroversial, three-minute, video manifesto about Asian students talking on cell phones in the library, reports LA Now.
An expert on the 1st Amendment, UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh said "This woman expressed her opinion, an offensive opinion to be sure," notes LA Now, but did not harass anyone nor did she advocate violence. "Adam Kissel of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, agreed, adding students always have said nasty things about one another, but the Internet now allows everyone to see that." The director of the Asian Pacific Coalition student group believes Wallace should have been asked to take a history or ethnic studies class to expose her to other cultures.
Wallace, who reportedly had other racist rants in the works, announced she was withdrawing from UCLA, notes LA Now, "because of death threats and because she had been 'ostracized from an entire community.' "
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
