Formerly incarcerated UCLA student files wrongful termination suit against UC Regents
John McInerney, a UC Los Angeles student, filed a lawsuit against the University of California Board of Regents alleging wrongful termination of employment based on conviction history, the Daily Californian reported on Nov. 9.
McInerney performed the duties of an office assistant job at the UCLA Graduate Student Resource Center for six weeks without incident before he was terminated following the completion of his background check.
“A 14 year-old drug conviction, coupled with no contact from law enforcement since at least 2009, has no bearing on Mr. McInerney’s abilities or qualifications for such a position,” McInerney’s attorney Jenny Baysinger said in an email to the Daily Californian.
McInerney was charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance and two counts of possession of a controlled substance for sale in 2005 and 2007, respectively, and subsequently served two years in California state prison, according to his lawsuit file obtained by the Daily Californian.
“The University has not provided any insight into its reasoning … indicating the required ‘individualized assessment’ was conducted or what considerations led to his disqualification from employment,” Baysinger said in an email.
UCLA declined to provide the Daily Californian with comment on the pending litigation.
UC Davis students, staff and faculty fundraise for campus projects
For October’s Crowdfund UC Davis campaign, teams of students, staff and faculty fundraised a total of $106,720 for various campus projects, according to the UC Davis Newsroom.
Several enrichment projects received funding, including “Art in Action: Building a Climate Art Trail.” K-12 students will create murals in rural California locations surrounding Davis that display information about climate change for the project.
Staff emergency funds received a total of $22,625, with $14,170 for the UC Davis campus and $8,455 for UC Davis Health.
“We are delighted and touched by our UC Davis and UC Davis Health colleagues and leaders who contributed,” Joanne Touhey, project manager for the staff emergency funds and a project lead in UC Davis Human Resources said. “I know firsthand how grateful our employees are to receive a cash grant when facing unforeseen personal hardships.”
Crowdfund UC Davis occurs annually in the months of February and October.
A version of this article appeared on p. 2 of the Nov. 15, 2022, print edition of the Daily Nexus.
