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10News Examines 'Koala' Paper's Funding, Leadership
Newspaper Published Graphic Opinion Piece Targeting UCSD Student
POSTED: 6:36 pm PST March 1, 2011
UPDATED: 2:29 pm PST March 2, 2011
SAN DIEGO -- Since a tabloid newspaper printed a sexually graphic opinion piece targeting a UC San Diego student, 10News learned "The Koala" newspaper could lose a lot if one UCSD student had her way.
Student Carli Thomas was the target of an editorial by "The Koala," which called her "a fat whore" and uses a doctored picture with a man's genitalia in her face.Thomas is part of UCSD's student government and one of the people who decides which student publications get money from students.Since 2005, "The Koala" has received $28,892.52 from student fees.When Thomas and the student government threatened to cut that funding, "The Koala" published an opinion piece directed at student leaders that read, "Do you know that you are considered 'public figures' on this campus? Do you know what that allows us to do to you?"Shortly after funding to "The Koala" was cut, the newspaper printed the opinion piece targeting Thomas."This isn't your average newspaper," said a "Koala" staff member identified by his peers as "Tim."According to county records, two men own the publication. George Liddle III and Sammy Elhag filed a fictitious business statement with San Diego County's Clerk. Neither man is a current student at UCSD.In 2005, Liddle was charged with trespassing while aggressively handing out copies of "The Koala" at CSU San Marcos.Koala leaders were also involved in a million-dollar lawsuit against UCSD about the university restricting the publication's speech. The suit was eventually dismissed, but UCSD has not sanctioned "The Koala" since.
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