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UCLA chancellor rebukes law school's 9/11 symposium featuring terror mastermind's lawyer

Julio Frenk distances the university from a controversial 25th-anniversary event that drew fury from 9/11 families and survivors.

newest coverage 11d agosummary written 11d ago9 pieces1 comments NewswiresMastodon

What to know

  • UCLA's law school symposium marking 9/11's 25th anniversary featured a defense attorney for 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and academics who have criticized U.S. counterterrorism policy, drawing immediate backlash from survivors and victim families.
  • UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk issued a rare public rebuke, distancing the university from the event and affirming that academic freedom does not require neutrality on terrorism or antisemitism.
  • The controversy centered on the speaker selection and event design: no 9/11 victims were invited to speak, a 15-minute remembrance block was scheduled, but an hour was allocated for lunch.
  • Judea Pearl, a UCLA professor whose journalist son Daniel was murdered by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in 2002, was among those who criticized the event; Frenk expressed support for Pearl and stated the university understood why he and others were deeply hurt.

“Judea Pearl is a deeply valued member of the UCLA community, and I have profound respect for him, for the memory of his son Daniel, and for his decades-long commitment to combating antisemitism, terrorism and hatred.”

Julio Frenk, UCLA Chancellor · NY Post ↗ · Sep 10

Julio FrenkJulio Frenk UCLA ChancellorMelanie T. Partow Defense attorney for Khalid Sheikh MohammedAslı Ü. Bâli Yale Law School professorJudea Pearl UCLA professor and father of slain journalist Daniel PearlSally Regenhard 9/11 victim's family member

UCLA chancellor rebukes law school's 9/11 symposium featuring terror mastermind's lawyer
NY Post

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in 4h at Sep 12, 11 AM; 9 pieces over 15 days (8 articles · 1 post) Sep 9, 7 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 9, 11 PM — quietSep 10, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 10, 7 AM — quietSep 10, 11 AM — quietSep 10, 3 PM — quietSep 10, 7 PM — quietSep 10, 11 PM — quietSep 11, 3 AM — quietSep 11, 7 AM — quietSep 11, 11 AM — quietSep 11, 3 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 11, 7 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 11, 11 PM — quietSep 12, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 12, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 12, 11 AM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Newswires 2, Mastodon 1Sep 12, 3 PM — quietSep 12, 7 PM — quietSep 12, 11 PM — quietSep 13, 3 AM — quietSep 13, 7 AM — quietSep 13, 11 AM — quietSep 13, 3 PM — quietSep 13, 7 PM — quietSep 13, 11 PM — quietSep 14, 3 AM — quietSep 14, 7 AM — quietSep 14, 11 AM — quietSep 14, 3 PM — quietSep 14, 7 PM — quietSep 14, 11 PM — quietSep 15, 3 AM — quietSep 15, 7 AM — quietSep 15, 11 AM — quietSep 15, 3 PM — quietSep 15, 7 PM — quietSep 15, 11 PM — quietSep 16, 3 AM — quietSep 16, 7 AM — quietSep 16, 11 AM — quietSep 16, 3 PM — quietSep 16, 7 PM — quietSep 16, 11 PM — quietSep 17, 3 AM — quietSep 17, 7 AM — quietSep 17, 11 AM — quietSep 17, 3 PM — quietSep 17, 7 PM — quietSep 17, 11 PM — quietSep 18, 3 AM — quietSep 18, 7 AM — quietSep 18, 11 AM — quietSep 18, 3 PM — quietSep 18, 7 PM — quietSep 18, 11 PM — quietSep 19, 3 AM — quietSep 19, 7 AM — quietSep 19, 11 AM — quietSep 19, 3 PM — quietSep 19, 7 PM — quietSep 19, 11 PM — quietSep 20, 3 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 3 AM — quiet 12
Sep 10Sep 12Sep 14Sep 16Sep 18Sep 20Sep 22now · 7:48 AM ET
  1. 2

    Media commentary frames event as institutional failure

    Coverage in the New York Post editorial board and reporting from the LA Times framed the symposium as a failure of judgment by UCLA's law school, with outlets characterizing the speaker selection as incompatible with a meaningful 9/11 commemoration.

  2. 1

    UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk rebukes the event in rare public statement

    Chancellor Frenk issued exclusive remarks distancing UCLA from the symposium, stating that "nothing about this event at the UCLA School of Law, which we do not endorse, changes or qualifies" the university's commitment to rejecting antisemitism and terrorism. He expressed support for Judea Pearl, a UCLA professor whose journalist son Daniel was decapitated by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in 2002.

    “Academic freedom does not require us to be neutral about antisemitism or terrorism. Speaking at UCLA should never be mistaken for the university's approval, endorsement, or acceptance of an individual's viewpoints.”
    — Julio Frenk
    1. 2 outlets UCLA chancellor rebukes law school event featuring 9/11 'mastermind' attorney

      first by LA Times California, 11d ago · also LA Times

      1 more headline
  3. background

    9/11 families and first responders condemn the event — FDNY lieutenant Jim McCaffrey and Sally Regenhard, whose firefighter son Christian died at Ground Zero, expressed outrage at the symposium's speaker lineup. Regenhard questioned why 9/11 families "can't get a break" and expressed frustration that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed remains unpunished.

  4. background

    UCLA announces 9/11 symposium with controversial speakers — The UCLA School of Law announced "25 Years After 9/11: Reimagining Freedom, Justice, and Security," a two-day event to begin September 11th featuring Melanie Partow, defense attorney for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and Yale professor Aslı Ü. Bâli. The event includes panels on torture, rendition, and U.S. counterterrorism policy, with only a 15-minute remembrance block scheduled for victims.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets UCLA disgraces itself by hosting terrorist lawyer on 9/11

    first by New York Post, 11d ago · also NY Post

  2. 2 outlets UCLA marks 9/11 by hosting attack mastermind’s activist lawyer and lefties who claim counterterrorism is ‘racist’

    first by NY Post, 14d ago · also Daily Wire

    2 more headlines