The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is facing questions about its commitment to academic integrity and standards after a top diversity, equity, and inclusion official at the UCLA School of Medicine was found to have plagiarized thousands of words for her doctoral thesis on the benefits of DEI. The discovery was made by a joint investigation conducted by The Daily Wire and City Journal, which uncovered evidence of extensive plagiarism committed by Natalie J. Perry, the head of the medical school's DEI program.
On April 12, The Daily Wire and City Journal presented a 14-page document containing overwhelming evidence of academic misconduct to the UCLA School of Medicine, but to date, the school has not responded or taken any action. Perry, who is responsible for shaping the school's "culture," remains listed on its website, raising concerns about the institution's failure to address the issue.
The investigation found that Perry had stolen passages from at least 10 different papers, and failed to attribute credit to at least four authors whose work she had copied. The evidence was shared with the victims, who expressed shock and disbelief at the scale of plagiarism committed by Perry. Angelo Kinicki, a business school professor and one of the victims, stated that the amount of work stolen was "unheard of" and "unbelievable," and raised questions about the culture being created at UCLA.
It is particularly concerning that Perry's role at UCLA involves shaping the school's culture and values, and yet she has been found to have committed academic misconduct. Some victims, like Kinicki, have raised concerns about the implications of this for the institution and its students. They argue that universities lose their value if degrees and hiring processes cannot guarantee the competence and integrity of their staff.
The University of Virginia, where Perry earned her doctorate in education, has stated that it will investigate the claims brought forward by The Daily Wire and City Journal. University spokesman Brian Coy confirmed that the institution has the ability to revoke degrees in cases of academic misconduct. However, the university's Honor Committee has pointed out that it can only accept claims of violations within two years of their occurrence, which may limit the scope of the investigation.
Several of the academics whose work was plagiarized by Perry declined to comment on the findings, prompting questions about whether this type of unethical behavior is accepted in their field. Kinicki suggested that by remaining silent, they were condoning and contributing to the problem. However, other high-profile academics have spoken out against UCLA's DEI programs, which they argue have veered dangerously away from scientific rigor toward promoting certain ideologies.
Former Harvard Medical School dean Jeffrey Flier has criticized UCLA for promoting "dangerous misinformation" after requiring first-year medical students to read an essay that stated concern about obesity is "violence on...Black, disabled, trans, poor fat people."
He also questioned the competence of those involved in the decision-making process and called for a change in leadership. A UCLA alumnus and founder of a UCLA alumni network, Barron Sawyer, has called for a transparent investigation and urged the university to uphold its commitment to high ethical standards.
In the words of legendary basketball coach John Wooden, "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation." It remains to be seen how UCLA will handle this scandal and whether it will take the necessary steps to address the academic misconduct committed by one of its top officials. As more information becomes available, it will be crucial for the institution to uphold its values and maintain the integrity of its academic standards.