UCLA Professor’s Lawsuit Catches Fire in National Media

Dr. James E. Enstrom's lawsuit against the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), which alleges that the university's refusal to rehire him after a 35-year career constituted a breach of his protected expression, has made headlines across the country. FIRE had been working with Enstrom for years to ensure that his disagreement over research on air pollution and its implication for environmental regulations didn't affect his faculty position in a way that violated his First Amendment rights. However, when it became clear that UCLA was doing all it could to drive him out for just that reason, Enstrom decided to take the matter to court, and media across the country took note. 

Here's a quick list of who has covered the story so far: 

• The Los Angeles Times
• National Review
• The Daily Caller
• WND.com
• Reason's blog Hit & Run
• The Chronicle of Higher Education

UCLA's student newspaper The Daily Bruin has also picked up the story.

In addition, FIRE's Adam Kissel wrote two columns about the lawsuit in The Huffington Post and The Daily Caller in which he expresses his hope that "justice will finally be served" and that "UCLA can restore its reputation as an honest broker of good science."

We hope that the way Enstrom's story is spreading across the country puts UCLA—and other universities who might be thinking to copy its actions—on notice. Colleges cannot be allowed to violate someone's rights in secret. That's why FIRE is on the case.