UCLA announced Tuesday that it would not be accepting a $3 million pledge made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, according to CBS Los Angeles.
The money was slated to go to support kidney research. But instead, the university said it would return the initial $425,000 payment from the Donald T. Sterling Foundation, and would not accept the balance of the money. The decision was made following the release of an audio recording of Sterling making racist comments during an argument with his girlfriend.
In a statement to CBS Los Angeles, UCLA said Sterling’s “divisive and hurtful comments demonstrate that he does not share UCLA’s core values as a public university that fosters diversity, inclusion and respect.”
“For those reasons, UCLA has decided to return Mr. Sterling’s initial payment of $425,000 and reject the remainder of a $3 million pledge he recently made to support basic kidney research by the UCLA Division of Nephrology,” the statement said.
This is all pretty amazing. Donald Sterling is no more odious a person now than he was a week ago, but because he is on record expressing a racist position with regard to his sports property–“I do not want black people attending my team’s basketball games”–he’s suddenly as toxic as Hitler. He can’t even give his money to good causes.
However, UCLA is interested in V. Stiviano as a fund-raiser…
Likely because they do not want to be associated with his name. The The Donald Sterling Center for Kidney Research has a certain ring to it.
We’ll know he’s in serious trouble when the shoe shine boy at his barber shop refuses his tips.
The V. Stiviano Center for Overbite Research?
So, to punish Sterling UCLA will punish medical research. Makes sense.
From what I’ve seen of his comments, he isn’t as bad as the thieving rancher Bundy, and while he made his money discriminating and ripping off people, that doesn’t make him much different than any number of right wing rich old white dudes.
Who cares what he thinks about people, really? What does he do, that’s what matters. He should have lost his fortune a long time ago when he first got busted for discrimination in housing, But he didn’t, so the time has come to take it now.
Take his money and give him no credit for it, and maybe the IRS won’t allow his charitable deduction too.
This is foolish. I’d be okay with them saying they won’t name anything after Sterling, but they should take his money.