By KPBS/ July 10, 2023
The arrests of three UC San Diego student workers accused of vandalizing campus property drew a large crowd to the San Diego Central Courthouse Monday in protest of potential criminal charges.
The workers, Jessica Ng, William Schneider, and a third person whose name has not been disclosed, were arrested about a month after the discovery of what UC San Diego police has described as vandalism “that caused permanent damage, necessitating replacement of building materials in excess of $12,000” at the Marine Conservation and Technology Facility at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
The workers are members of the unions representing postdoctoral scholars, academic researchers, graduate student researchers and academic student employees in the UC system.
Union members allege that following a contract reached last year, the university has failed to implement its terms, leaving workers underpaid.
While the three people arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism and conspiracy were slated for an arraignment at the downtown courthouse Monday, the hearings did not go forward.
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that the case has not been submitted to its office for review of potential criminal charges. UC San Diego police said Monday that their investigation remains ongoing.
Ng was among a group of speakers who addressed supporters on the steps of the courthouse and said, “These charges are meant to intimidate and isolate every person who dares to stand up for themselves and their fellow workers.”
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