Local News in Brief : School’s Ousted Publisher Files Claim

The former publisher of Cal State Los Angeles’ student newspaper, The University Times, has filed a $2-million claim against the state, alleging that she was wrongfully fired. The claim by Joan Zyda, filed last week at the State Board of Control, is likely to be rejected and result in a trial, a board spokesman said Monday.

Zyda was fired in April as publisher and journalism teacher in what she said was a move by campus officials to censor negative news about the school. Under her guidance, the paper became much more aggressive in its reporting on campus affairs. Administrators said her firing would “better meet the educational goals of the university.”