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Judge Rejects Claim By CSULA Student Latest Cal State Tuition Hike Is Illegal
A young man holds a sign at a 2010 protest over Cal State tuition hikes (Photo by Robbie via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
Students in the California State University system have been burdened with tuition hikes year after year recently, and one CSU Los Angeles grad student tried to take legal action to seek an injunction against the most recent fee increase.
However, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge rejected the claim filed by Robert W. Bates that asserts the 9% fee hike approved for CSU for next fall is illegal. Bates claimed that "he university's trustees violated public meeting laws during a tumultuous Nov. 16 session that was disrupted by protesters," according to the L.A. Times.
During that meeting, held in Long Beach, protesters were pepper-sprayed by authorities and some arrested when they refused to quiet down. CSU trustee and Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom also "expressed doubts about the transparency of the proceedings and called on the governing board to revisit the vote at another meeting."
CSU officials say the meeting was perfectly legit, and they followed state law when proceedings were disrupted. A CSU lawyer also says they are pleased with the judge's ruling on the Bates claim.
Bates, however, says the matter is far from settled. From the Times:
"I wanted to make an effort and put up a good fight, but I'll be back," Bates said. "I would prefer the board reconsider this on their own, because I think it would give them more credibility to the public and students. This looks like a closed room deal and that's why it's important."
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