July 5, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Donald Sterling Censured by L.A. Council, Donation Pledge to UCLA Rejected

Sterling
Donald Sterling.

In the wake of the NBA banning Donald Sterling from the professional basketball league for life, both UCLA and the Los Angeles City Council separately took formal steps on April 29 to distance themselves from the beleaguered Clippers owners.

Earlier in the day, council members unanimously voted to censure Sterling and denounced racist remarks that were attributed to him.

UCLA later announced the school would reject a $3 million donation pledge Sterling recently made to the university for kidney research. As part of the rejection, UCLA is returning an initial $425,000 payment Sterling made to the university’s Division of Nephrology. Future payments will also be rejected.

University officials stated the donation pledge was rejected because “the racially charged comments he made in a recorded telephone conversation were ‘divisive and hurtful.’”

“Mr. 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,” according to UCLA.

University officials said they have been receiving inquiries about an advertisement that appeared in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times, “falsely suggesting that it was UCLA publicly thanking him for the gift.”

“The ad was placed by Mr. Sterling, not the university,” according to UCLA.

Meanwhile, at Los Angeles City Hall, the City Council officially moved to censure Sterling in light of a proposal presented to council members by District 8 representative Bernard C. Parks.

Specifically, the council approved a motion denouncing Sterling’s statements that surfaced last weekend and demanded he apologize to Angelenos and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, an “iconic, national figure” who was a target of some of the remarks.

Council President Herb Wesson noted he personally would not want the proposed apology, and suspects Johnson also would not.

With Los Angeles a city that prides itself on its diversity, “this is the worst city in the world for this to be happening,” Councilman Paul Koretz said.

He added the team should be thought of as separate from Sterling.

“I’m a big Clippers fan,” he said. “They always, somehow when they put together a great team, find a way never to get too far. This is sadly the worst example of that.”

Parks said during a morning news conference that the city has a “long-standing tradition” of fighting against racial discrimination.

The motion reflects the city’s desire to “condemn the statements made by Mr. Sterling and clearly separate itself from those statements,” Parks said.

Prior to the vote, Parks told his colleagues that the issue is “very delicate” for the city of Los Angeles.

“We have seen several explosions in the city when insensitivities have come about,” he said.

Parks’ motion called the remarks “very offensive,” and said they are “completely inconsistent with United States Human Rights Laws, the long- standing positions of the City Council, the diversity of our community, the fan base of the Clippers and the very high percentage of minorities who worked for and are working for the National Basketball Association.”

“These comments, actions and statements have no place in today’s society,” the motion states.

The motion calls on the council to “condemn” the statements allegedly made by Sterling and demand “a personal apology to the entire Los Angeles community.”

It also calls on the Los Angeles NAACP to revoke its nomination of Sterling for a humanitarian award and asks the Los Angeles Times to consider pulling Sterling’s weekly ads promoting “his commercial real estate empire and alleged civic activities.”

Wesson amended the motion to include asking NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to visit Los Angeles to talk to the City Council and Mayor Eric Garcetti, as well as to address the community.

On Monday, Wesson sent a letter to Silver, asking him to fund a third-party inquiry into whether the Clippers, under Sterling’s leadership, violated laws aimed at shielding employees from racial discrimination.

“As an owner, Mr. Sterling has exercised absolute control over his franchise,” Wesson wrote in a letter to Silver, dated April 27. “It has now become imperative to look into how his attitudes on race have governed his leadership of his franchise.”

After the council’s vote, several members joined a news conference by Garcetti and current and former NBA players outside City Hall to hail the league’s decision to ban Sterling for life. They also urged fans to continue supporting Clippers players.

The team is scheduled to take on the Golden State Warriors at 7:30 p.m. on April 29 in Game 5 of their best-of-7 playoff series at Staples Center. The series is tied 2-2.

Related Posts

Michael Madsen, Star of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, Dies at 67 in Malibu

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Actor Remembered for His Intense Performances and as a Poet  Actor Michael Madsen, known for his distinctive gravelly voice and...

Los Angeles City Council Cracks Down on ‘Disaster Tours’ in Pacific Palisades

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

City Council Bans Commercial Bus Tours in Burn Zone Amid Community Backlash Tour buses that have been operating in fire-ravaged...

Tow Truck Scammers Target Crash Victims Across L.A.: Authorities Warn of Fraud at Accident Scenes

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Officials Urge Drivers to Stay Alert After Collisions as Rogue Operators Demand Inflated Fees  Motorists involved in vehicle accidents are...

Woman Dies After Melrose Store Altercation: LAPD Launches Homicide Investigation

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Critically Injured Young Woman Died July 2, After She was Badly Beaten at Work  The death of a woman critically...

CHP Officer Dies in Culver City Crash: Medical Emergency Suspected Behind Tragic Incident

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Officer lost consciousness while transporting a suspect before crashing into a tree California Highway Patrol Officer Miguel Cano died early...

L.A. Beaches Brace for Holiday Rush: Over 1 Million Visitors Expected This Fourth of July

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

County Officials Urge Beachgoers to Pack Out Their Trash and  Monitor Water Quality More than one million visitors are expected...

(Video) A visit to New York Bagel & Deli in Santa Monica

July 3, 2025

July 3, 2025

Authentic NY Style Bagels with Extra Creamy Cream Cheese and Multi-Cultural Desserts. Located at 2216 Wilshire Blvd. A visit to...

Hot Dogs & Rosé: Something About Her and The Culver Hotel Roll Out Summer Specials

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Westside Venues to Serve Playful Bites and Seasonal Sips For the Holiday Weekend A bold new offering is making its...

NeueHouse Hosts Bold One-Night Dinner With Culinary Phenomenon Diego Argoti

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Acclaimed Chef Brings Culinary Mischief With a Five-Course Tasting Experience. NeueHouse Hollywood will host an exclusive, one-night-only dining event on...

(Video) Legacy, Reimagined: Architecture, Design & Construction by Home Front Build Los Angeles

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Go To Homefrontbuild.com For More Information @home_front_build Legacy, Reimagined: Architecture, Design & Construction by Home Front Build Los Angeles Go...

405 Crash Near the Getty Sends Three to Hospital: Two Seriously Hurt Near Site Where LAPD Sgt. Died

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Early Morning Multi-Vehicle Collision Shut Down Lanes Near Brentwood Three men were injured and traffic was snarled for hours following...

(Video) Jikoni, the AfriCali PopUp from celebrated cookbook author Kiano Moju Has Been Extended Until July 3 at Citizen Public Market

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Bold Flavors and Spice Merge with Crisp, Chewy Chapati. Delicious With a Caring Chef and Staff. Jikoni, the AfriCali PopUp...

Pentagon Orders Troop Drawdown in LA: 150 National Guard Members Reassigned to Wildfire Duty

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Federal Forces Begin Partial Withdrawal From Protest Response as California Leaders Push Back U.S. Northern Command announced Tuesday that 150...

California Highway Patrol Deploys for Independence Day Enforcement Surge

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

All Available Officers to Hit California Highways for Holiday Weekend As Californians gear up for Fourth of July festivities, the...

Court Postpones Arraignment for Driver in Malibu Crash That Killed Four Students

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Fraser Michael Bohm Faces Murder Charges in Fatal PCH Wreck  The arraignment for Fraser Michael Bohm, the 23-year-old man accused...