Dr. Priyanga Amarasekare

Please consider supporting Priyanga Amarasekare, a minority female faculty member at the University of California Los Angeles, who has been sanctioned by the UCLA Chancellor without clear and just cause. For one year, starting July 2022, she had no livelihood, no health insurance, and no retirement benefits. She was months away from the foreclosure of her home and was struggling to support her two children, which led to this fundraising campaign.

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, of which Professor Amarasekare is not guilty. UCLA has forbidden her to divulge the nature of the charges or the report of the Privilege and Tenure Hearing committee, which makes it impossible for her to demonstrate that the punishment is severely disproportionate. The secrecy surrounding the charges and the sanctions is destroying her reputation, jeopardizing her chances of obtaining employment elsewhere.

Even a small donation would greatly help Professor Amarasekare with her day-to-day expenses, health care needs, and legal expenses.