A “homeless” UCLA lecturer who railed in opposition to the college saying his $70,000 paycheck was too low to dwell in Los Angeles, claims he was positioned on go away due to his remarks in direction of the varsity and his division head.
Dr. Daniel McKeown, an astrophysics lecturer within the Faculty of Bodily Science, broke the “horrible information” to his 48,700 followers that his programs have been taken away in “retaliation” to a video of his that went viral earlier this month.
“UCLA has positioned me on administrative go away, they’ve taken all of my programs that I’m instructing this fall away from me with out my permission,” McKeown stated in a TikTok posted on Oct. 19.
“Chair Stuart Brown has retaliated in opposition to me for making my story public about how I wasn’t paid sufficient to afford to work at UCLA,” McKeown stated.
In a video posted to YouTube, McKeown referred to as it a short lived go away and alluded to the ultimatums he was given for him to return to his place.
“It’s as a result of (Brown) has not accredited an lodging that I obtained from my physician saying that I ought to be allowed to show on-line indefinitely,” the lecturer stated. “His provide was that I’ve to right away educate in particular person beginning (Oct. 21) of which I’m unable to as a result of I used to be made homeless on account of low pay.”
McKeown, who began working on the California college in Sept. 2023, first went public along with his monetary and housing issues in September.
“I used to be paid so poorly final yr and at present that I used to be pressured to maneuver all my belongings right into a public storage unit and I can not dwell in my one-bedroom condominium in Westwood,” McKeown stated in the TikTok seen over 1.6 million instances.
McKeown revealed he earned $66,000 final yr and was making $70,000 this yr, however stated he couldn’t afford the $2,500 per 30 days price to dwell in Los Angeles, forcing him to maneuver his belongings into storage.
He stated he had tried to renegotiate his contract with the Physics and Astronomy division in search of $200,000 so he might afford his condominium.
“The chair of my division, Stuart Brown, doesn’t care about how poorly I’m being paid and the truth that he’s cheapened the worth of physics for the complete technology.”
McKeown alleged Brown’s greed had lowered the possibilities of present physics graduate college students from incomes a good dwelling.
The lecturer additionally claimed that undergraduate college students dreaming of changing into physicists, would surrender and as an alternative select one other profession path.
“I couldn’t even blame you, as a result of who would need to go and get 10 plus years of superior training, solely to be spit on his personal society and his personal college system of which he’s a graduate,” he stated.
“UCLA, they don’t worth my very own information that I’m giving to college students regardless of extraordinarily excessive critiques and nice accolades for my work.”
“My college doesn’t worth what I do, and the management values cash and income over the rest.
McKeown says he’s “technically homeless” by not having a spot of his personal or any lease.
He had moved right into a pal’s place in San Diego, the place he started instructing remotely, an motion that Brown didn’t agree with.
“As an alternative of attempting to work with me to barter a great technique in order that I might afford to maneuver again to Los Angeles and having some compassion for my struggles and the homelessness that’s been the reason for my drawback he’s positioned me on go away and he’s retaliated in opposition to me.
Throughout his time away from campus, McKeown posted his recorded Zoom lectures to his YouTube account.
The Publish has reached out to UCLA.
