Former UCSF Professor Sues University Over Suspension, Firing for Gaza War Comments

Dr. Rupa Marya, a longtime medical school professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has filed a lawsuit alleging that UCSF violated her First Amendment rights by suspending and ultimately firing her for social media posts criticizing Israel's military actions in Gaza. Marya's posts expressed solidarity with Gaza hospitals and healthcare workers and critiqued Zionist policies as harmful to health equity, which led UCSF to place her on leave and suspend her clinical privileges, citing concerns about her social media activity. The university described her as a "possible imminent danger," though Marya and her lawyers argue that her comments were political critiques, not antisemitic, and that her firing threatens academic freedom and free speech. Marya faced significant backlash including harassment, threats, and accusations of antisemitism from colleagues and public figures, while she maintains her posts targeted policies rather than any ethnic or religious group. UCSF has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, but the case raises critical questions about free speech, academic freedom, and the boundaries of political expression in university settings amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Marya's attorneys emphasize the broader implications of the case for all advocates of justice, asserting that defending her rights is defending the rights of all.