UCLA Sued Over Activist-in-Residence Records

Goldwater Institute sues university for withholding documents on controversial program

Mar. 30, 2026 at 2:19pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A dynamic, fragmented painting in bold colors depicting the silhouette of a person holding a megaphone, conveying the conceptual clash between political activism and institutional transparency.A lawsuit over UCLA's refusal to release records on its 'Activist-in-Residence' program highlights tensions between academic freedom and public transparency.Los Angeles Today

The University of California, Los Angeles is being sued by the Goldwater Institute for refusing to release records related to Lisa 'Tiny' Gray-Garcia, a self-proclaimed 'formerly unhoused, incarcerated poverty scholar, revolutionary journalist [and] lecturer' who was one of UCLA's 'Activists-in-Residence' in 2024. The Goldwater Institute has requested Gray-Garcia's contract, compensation, course materials, and university emails, but UCLA has repeatedly delayed fulfilling the request, citing only a general 'administrative burden' without providing specifics.

Why it matters

The Activists-in-Residence program at UCLA has drawn criticism for promoting 'racial, economic and social justice' causes, with Gray-Garcia generating controversy for telling medical students to 'bow to mama earth' and calling private property a 'crapatalist lie.' The U.S. Justice Department cited the program in an antisemitism lawsuit against UCLA in 2025, making the records about the program's activities and funding a matter of public interest.

The details

The Goldwater Institute, a conservative think tank, sued UCLA on Tuesday for not releasing records related to Gray-Garcia's role as an Activist-in-Residence. The institute has requested Gray-Garcia's contract, compensation, course syllabi and materials, as well as university emails discussing topics like Israel and Gaza. UCLA has acknowledged the request but repeatedly delayed fulfilling it, citing only a general 'administrative burden' without providing specifics on the number of documents or the difficulty in obtaining them.

  • In October 2026, the Goldwater Institute requested the records from UCLA.
  • In July 2025, the U.S. Justice Department cited the Activists-in-Residence program in an antisemitism lawsuit against UCLA.

The players

Goldwater Institute

A conservative think tank that is suing UCLA for withholding records related to its Activists-in-Residence program.

Lisa 'Tiny' Gray-Garcia

A self-proclaimed 'formerly unhoused, incarcerated poverty scholar, revolutionary journalist [and] lecturer' who was one of UCLA's Activists-in-Residence in 2024.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

The public university that is being sued for refusing to release records related to its Activists-in-Residence program.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Under California law, taxpayer-funded institutions like UCLA cannot withhold public records like the ones Goldwater has requested, even if those records include embarrassing or controversial information that the institutions would prefer to keep hidden.”

— Bradley Benbrook, Member of Goldwater's pro bono American Freedom Network

“There's no sense that we have from their communications of how many documents we are talking about, how burdensome this request is, anything like that. They've just been very vague and said that they're working on it.”

— Stacy Skankey, Litigation director for Goldwater's American Freedom Network

What’s next

A judge could force UCLA to release the requested documents, cover Goldwater's legal fees, and pay a fine if serious wrongdoing or a pattern is found.

The takeaway

This lawsuit highlights the ongoing tensions around academic freedom, political activism, and transparency at public universities. The outcome could set an important precedent for how much public institutions must disclose about their relationships with controversial figures and programs.