UC Berkeley Sued for Stonewalling Public Records on TPUSA Event Featuring Rob Schneider
Alameda County, CA — The Center for American Liberty has filed a lawsuit against The Regents of the University of California, Berkeley for violating the California Public Records Act (CPRA) after the university failed for months to produce records related to a November 11, 2025 Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event featuring Rob Schneider.
The Center for American Liberty submitted its request on January 9, 2026, seeking documents related to event planning, security measures, internal communications, and reported disruptions. UC Berkeley acknowledged receipt on January 16, but never produced a single document.
Despite now claiming the request merely “slipped through the cracks,” the record tells a different story.
The Center for American Liberty followed up repeatedly over the course of months—sending multiple emails, requesting status updates, and demanding a production timeline—yet received no substantive response and no records.
“UC Berkeley’s excuse doesn’t pass the smell test,” said Mark Trammell, CEO of the Center for American Liberty. “You don’t ‘accidentally’ ignore a lawful records request for months—especially after repeated follow-ups. This looks a lot more like deliberate stonewalling than a clerical error.”
Under California law, public agencies are required to promptly respond to records requests and produce non-exempt documents within a reasonable timeframe. The Center for American Liberty’s lawsuit seeks to compel UC Berkeley to comply with the law and produce all responsive records.
“The public has a right to know what happened behind the scenes,” Trammell added. “Were security decisions politically motivated? Was access restricted? Why the total blackout? If Berkeley has nothing to hide, they should have turned over the records months ago.”
The Center for American Liberty argues that UC Berkeley’s failure to produce any records—despite acknowledging the request and receiving multiple follow-ups—constitutes a clear violation of the CPRA and undermines public trust.
About the Center for American Liberty
The Center for American Liberty is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to defending civil liberties and promoting government accountability.





