The IFA Board sent the following response to Vice Chancellor Haynes, who responded to our letter of February 26, 2020 concerning the arrest and detention of a UCI biomedical engineering alumna.
March 6, 2020
Dear Vice Chancellor Haynes,
Thank you for your letter replying to our call for real measures in response to the police violence incident at Aldrich Hall. Your letter raises several issues of concern. This incident is not a dispute between individuals that can be resolved privately and out of the public view: the campus community has been seriously affected, as you too may have been hearing. The statement in your letter that the administration “is working closely with all parties to reach a mutually agreeable situation” does not seem to reflect the gravity of the situation. The campus community needs transparency and clarity from the UCI administration, public accountability and real checks on policing on campus through strong public oversight, and an assurance that assaulting non-violent campus members is against UCI policy. We believe this incident requires a statement directly from the Chancellor to the UCI community and a public commitment to ensure appropriate disciplinary and proactive measures will be taken in the wake of this case.
We look forward to hearing from you and the Chancellor at the earliest possible time.
Sincerely,
Eyal Amiran, Mark LeVine, and Kristin Peterson
UCI IFA Executive Board