Dr Marya claims violation of free speech after being placed on leave for social media post critical of Israel
Dr Rupa Marya, an Indian-American professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has filed a lawsuit against the university after being suspended in September 2024 over a controversial social media post regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza. The university issued a statement condemning what it called a “tired and racist conspiracy theory” suggesting Zionist doctors were a threat to patients of various ethnic backgrounds, though it did not directly name Dr Marya, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
In her lawsuit, Dr Marya alleges that the suspension violated her constitutional rights and subjected her to severe online abuse, including rape and death threats. The lawsuit argues that her commentary was protected speech addressing American foreign policy and humanitarian concerns, especially relevant given her identity as a South Asian Sikh and a U.S. citizen.
Dr Marya says her suspension over Gaza-related post violated her free speech rights and led to threats, harassment, and a hostile academic environment.
Dr Marya’s controversial post, made in September 2024, raised concerns shared by her students over whether an incoming Israeli first-year medical student may have served in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). She questioned whether that implied involvement in what she described as the genocide of Palestinians and sought advice from her colleagues on how to address the issue.
The post drew sharp backlash, particularly from California Senator Scott Wiener, who accused Dr Marya of fueling antisemitic tropes and creating a “toxic, violent environment” at UCSF. He claimed the professor was unfairly targeting an Israeli student and promoting dangerous conspiracy theories about Jewish medical professionals harming patients. The post was later deleted, but the fallout continued, culminating in her suspension.
Dr Marya and her legal team maintain that her concerns were rooted in justice and ethics, not antisemitism, and argue that UCSF’s actions set a troubling precedent for academic freedom and public discourse on global human rights issues. The case has sparked debate about the boundaries of speech, political expression, and institutional accountability in American universities.
