The University Of California Los Angeles (UCLA) is under fire after they allegedly forced first-year medical students to attend lectures conducted by an alleged Hamas supporter, New York Post reported Thursday.
A lecture at UCLA’s Geffen Hall by Lisa “Tiny” Gray-Garcia, an alleged Hamas supporter, stirred controversy after the university allegedly required their students to attend these classes. Her class called “Housing (In)justice in LA” reportedly criticized modern medicine and private property, linking LA’s homelessness to the situation in the Gaza Strip, according to the New York Post.
In the lecture, Gray-Garcia directed students to press their fists to the ground as she offered a nonreligious prayer to “Mama Earth” and ancestors, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
UCLA med school forced first-year students to attend lecture of Hamas supporter who blasted modern medicine as ‘white science,’ made them pray to ‘mama Earth’ https://t.co/hVYENPB4Bi pic.twitter.com/rb31reR7OA
— New York Post (@nypost) April 4, 2024
“Mama Earth was never meant to be bought, sold, pimped or played,” Gray-Garcia said in an audio obtained by the Beacon.
Gray-Garcia’s comments angered students and faculty, particularly her call for a prayer and strong criticism of cleaning homeless camps. Witnesses described the event as unsettling, regardless of religious beliefs, the outlet stated. The university’s Jewish Faculty Resilience Group condemned the lecture, claimed it should not have occurred and criticized the administrative staff’s handling of the situation. (RELATED: Ivy League Professor Calls Hamas Terrorist Attacks ‘Exhilarating’ And ‘Energizing’ At Campus Rally)
This incident intensifies existing tensions at UCLA Medical School, especially around its HEALS curriculum, which targets “Structural Racism and Health Equity.” The program seeks to prepare students for advocacy and compassionate care, amid wider discussions on academic freedom and political content in education, according to New York Post.
The Daily Caller has reached out to UCLA for comments but has yet to receive a response.