“Homeless” UCLA graduate student Dr. McKeown, was placed on leave after viral tirade about low pay

Dr. Daniel McKeown, an astrophysics lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has garnered widespread attention after revealing his struggles with homelessness and low pay in a viral TikTok video. In this video, McKeown revealed that his annual salary of $70,000 is not enough to cover living expenses in Los Angeles, which prompted him to speak out about his situation. He claimed that his outspoken comments led to retaliation from the university, culminating in his being placed on administrative leave.

Personal problems and living situation

In his TikTok video, which has amassed over 1.6 million views, McKeown explained: “Hello everyone, my name is Daniel and I am a professor of astrophysics at UCLA. I only receive $70,000 for this academic year. Technically I am homeless. I don't have my own apartment. He expressed that this salary was not enough given the high cost of living in Los Angeles, where housing can be particularly expensive. McKeown explained: “I was paid so poorly last year and now that I was forced to move all my belongings into a public storage unit and I can no longer live in my one-bedroom apartment in Westwood.”

Due to financial constraints, he moved to a friend's home in San Diego, where he began teaching remotely. Explaining the extent of his struggles, McKeown stated: “I can't even blame you, because who wants to go through 10+ years of secondary education only to be spat on? [by] his own society and his own university system, of which he is a graduate.”

UCLA's Claims of Retaliation

Following his public comments, McKeown claimed that he faced retaliation from UCLA. In an Oct. 19 TikTok post, he explained, “UCLA has placed me on administrative leave; They took away all the courses I'm teaching this year without my permission.” He accuses his department chair, Stuart Brown, of failing to support him when he asked his doctor for an accommodation that would allow him to do so would like to teach online indefinitely. “This is because Brown did not agree to an agreement from my doctor that I should be allowed to teach online indefinitely,” McKeown said.His conflict with Brown included an ultimatum that he must return to in-person classes starting Oct. 21, although he claimed he was unable to do so because of his homelessness. He argued that Brown's actions had exacerbated his difficulties, stating: “Instead of trying to work with me to negotiate a good strategy so that I can afford to return to Los Angeles and some compassion for my problems and homelessness “He put me on leave and retaliated against me because of my problem.”

Broader issues with academic salaries

McKeown's situation has sparked widespread discussion about the financial challenges facing university faculty, particularly in high-cost areas like Los Angeles. He emphasized that he tried to renegotiate his contract to receive a more sustainable salary of $200,000 to cover living expenses. McKeown claimed: “The chairman of my department, Stuart Brown, doesn't care how poorly I am paid and that he has devalued the value of physics for the entire generation.”

In his comments, he expressed concerns that the low pay could deter students from pursuing a career in physics. “My university doesn’t value what I do and the leadership puts money and profits above everything else,” he explained.

As McKeown continues to cope with his situation, he remains active on social media and posts recorded lectures to his YouTube account while he is away from campus. The incident raises critical questions about how universities value their faculty and the financial realities of academic life, particularly in expensive urban environments.