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UCSF Professor Files Free Speech Lawsuit After Dismissal Over Gaza Criticism

Her lawsuit asserts that UCSF penalized her for private social media posts condemning Israel’s military actions

Overview

  • Dr. Rupa Marya was dismissed by UCSF in May 2025, the suit says, following her October 2023 social media criticism of Israel’s Gaza campaign
  • Her federal complaint filed June 4 alleges that the university’s investigation, suspension of clinical privileges and firing constituted retaliation against her First Amendment–protected speech
  • In October 2023, UCSF’s medical board deemed her a “possible imminent danger” to patients and suspended her clinical privileges, which were restored two weeks later after she challenged the decision
  • A state court suit seeks damages for loss of her 22-year part-time teaching post along with reputational harm and emotional distress
  • At a June 5 press conference, supporters highlighted the case’s implications for academic freedom and warned of a chilling effect on faculty speech