Fundraiser for Priyanga Amerasekare

Please consider supporting our friend, Priyanga Amarasekare, faculty member at the University of California Los Angeles, who has been unjustly sanctioned by the UCLA Chancellor. Since July 2022 she has had no livelihood, no health insurance, and no retirement benefits. The sanctions, which include a one-year suspension and a 20% salary reduction for two subsequent years, are typically reserved for the most egregious forms of misconduct such as scientific misconduct and Title IX violations, which Priyanga is not guilty of.

A report published in Nature on. Priyanga’s suspension (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00473-8) found strong evidence that UCLA had levied disproportionate punishments in response to her voicing concerns about racism.

"The documents received by Nature — including the letter of censure — contain no accusations of academic misconduct or illegal behaviour, and instead focus on personnel and procedural issues.

"The university’s behaviour towards Amarasekare “is as bad as it looks”, says Angie Beeman, a sociologist at Baruch College in New York City who studies racism in academia and reviewed the documents and communications obtained by Nature."

An Editorial published in the UCLA student newspaper, the Daily Bruin (https://dailybruin.com/2023/03/05/editorial-ucla-community-deserves-explanation-for-professor-amarasekares-suspension) urged the UCLA chancellor to explain his decision, pointing out that “The international scientific community, alongside all members of the UCLA community, deserves a full and immediate explanation of Amarasekare’s suspension.”

The unjust sanctions imposed on Priyanga’s have destroyed her federally-funded research on climate change. They are also smearing her reputation, jeopardizing her chances of obtaining employment elsewhere.

Priyanga’s professional network has stepped in to support her in this of need. We, as her friends, batchmates, uni-mates are requesting any support you can lend her by even a small donation to defray her legal expenses and help restore her stellar career and reputation.

Gothami, Sanja and Devaki