UCLA ‘homeless’ lecturer Dr. Daniel McKeown placed on leave for calling out school pay

A UCLA lecturer who spoke out against the university for paying him $70,000, which he claimed was too low to live in Los Angeles, has been placed on administrative leave. Dr. Daniel McKeown, an astrophysics lecturer in the College of Physical Science, alleges that this action was taken in response to his public criticism of the school and his department head.

McKeown informed his followers that his courses were revoked as a form of retaliation for a video he posted that went viral. He accused Chair Stuart Brown of retaliating against him for bringing attention to his financial struggles at UCLA.

In a YouTube video, McKeown mentioned that he was placed on leave because the department did not approve his request to teach online indefinitely due to a medical recommendation. Instead, he was given an ultimatum to resume in-person teaching, which he could not do as he had become homeless due to his low pay.

McKeown disclosed that he earned $66,000 last year and $70,000 this year, but still could not afford the cost of living in Los Angeles. He attempted to renegotiate his contract for a higher salary but was unsuccessful.

He criticized the department chair for undervaluing his work and stated that the low pay was affecting the value of physics education at UCLA. McKeown also expressed concern that current and future physics students would be discouraged from pursuing the field due to financial difficulties.

Despite receiving positive feedback for his teaching, McKeown felt unappreciated by the university leadership, who he believed prioritized profits over supporting faculty members.

Due to his housing situation, McKeown was technically homeless and had to teach remotely from a friend’s place in San Diego. He felt that the university should have shown more compassion and worked with him to find a solution rather than placing him on leave.

During his absence from campus, McKeown continued teaching by posting recorded lectures on his YouTube channel. The Post has reached out to UCLA for comment on the situation.