UCLA baseball stadium locked down under lawsuit over veterans housing

WEST LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium on the VA's West Los Angeles campus was locked down Thursday after a federal judge issued an order that it be closed until the university comes up with a proposal for the stadium grounds to be used for the benefit of the military veterans for whom the land was originally deeded.

The order went into effect at noon. VA security placed locks on all entrances and exit gates to the stadium and an adjacent practice field and posted no trespassing signs in the area. UCLA employees could be seen earlier carrying various supplies out of the complex.

The order came at the conclusion of a daylong hearing Wednesday in which U.S. District Judge David O. Carter voiced frustration at UCLA and other ex-leaseholders at the VA's West Los Angeles campus for not offering satisfactory uses for land for which it had illegally contracted.

"I was here for three year, homeless, trying to get into treatment, but I couldn't because the VA was too worried about these illegal leases instead of helping us out," said veteran Robert Canas. "The police immediately shoo veterans away when they get here because they don't want them here interfering with the leases, so this is a big day for us. I hope that they will build housing for veterans here. That's what we need. We need veterans in treatment, not a baseball field for college students."

UCLA and UCLA Athletics issued a joint statement Thursday, saying they are "disappointed with the ruling but are complying."

"UCLA unequivocally supports veterans, including making sure our country's heroes get the housing and healthcare they need and deserve," read the statement. "The VA has leased a small part of its land to UCLA since 1963. In exchange, the VA receives annual compensation that supports several veteran programs. Last night, a judge prohibited UCLA's use of this lease by noon [Thursday] - we are disappointed with the ruling but are complying. UCLA Athletics is actively working to adjust operations and training, as this means our students are no longer able to access Jackie Robinson Stadium.

We hope for a swift legal resolution that lets our student-athletes return to the facility. It's deeply important to be clear on this point: UCLA supports veterans. We offer numerous programs to show our support, including our UCLA/VA Veteran Family Wellbeing Center, UCLA School of Law Veterans Legal Clinic, UCLA Extension Success Academy, UCLA Health Operation Mend, to name just a few."

Veterans who live on the West Los Angeles VA campus who spoke with Eyewitness News said they would like to see the stadium be demolished for more housing.

During Wednesday's hearing, Carter warned that he was also on the verge of ordering the private Brentwood School's athletic center on VA grounds "bulldozed" and its swimming pool "filled with sand" unless the school handed over VA land and devised a way for military veterans to enjoy the center, along with the student body.

The lengthy hearing followed a strongly worded ruling issued earlier this month in which Carter blasted the VA for "turning its back" on the veterans it was designed to help by illegally leasing portions of the campus to UCLA's baseball team, the affluent Brentwood School, an oil company, and other private interests on the agency's West Los Angeles campus.

The judge ordered the leases terminated.

Also on Wednesday's hearing, Carter used threats and old-fashioned horse trading to cajole the affluent Brentwood School into attempting to make a deal whereby between four and five acres of land it had leased from the VA would be given to veterans. The school also offered to greatly expand hours for veterans to use the complex.

But after a group of veterans met in the back of the courtroom and nixed the deal, Carter gave the proposal a thumbs down.

The developments stem from a monthlong non-jury trial of a lawsuit lodged in federal court against the VA by a group of unhoused veterans with disabilities, challenging land lease agreements and seeking housing on the campus for veterans in need, many of whom are homeless or must travel for hours to see their doctors.

Over the past five decades, Carter wrote, the VA in West L.A. "has been infected by bribery, corruption, and the influence of the powerful and their lobbyists, and enabled by a major educational institution in excluding veterans' input about their own lands."

During trial, the VA argued that it is out of space on its 388-acre campus, and that the lack of available acreage precludes any increase to the 1,200 housing units the agency promised to open by 2030. VA attorneys alleged that any relief ordered by the court would burden the department financially and deprive it of the flexibility needed to solve veteran homelessness.

Ultimately, the court found that veterans are entitled to more than 2,500 units of housing at the campus "and termination of the illegal land-use agreements."

Carter previously said the court would begin to determine an "exit strategy" for the lease holders in order to ensure the land -- including the 10 acres rented to UCLA -- is put to a use that principally benefits veterans.

The judge's ruling orders the VA to build 750 units of temporary housing within 18 months and to form a plan within six months to add another 1,800 units of permanent housing to the roughly 1,200 units already in planning and construction under the settlement terms of an earlier lawsuit.

Carter, himself a Vietnam War veteran, found that the VA "has allowed the drastic reduction of the size of the original plot of land deeded in 1888 to be an old soldiers' home. In a series of lengthy, renewable leases, the VA authorized leaseholders to build permanent athletic facilities -- after permitting these concrete structures to be built on veterans' land."

The judge held that for years the VA -- budgeted at $407 billion annually -- has "quietly sold off" land badly needed for injured and homeless military veterans.

VA press secretary Terrence Hayes said in a recent statement to City News Service the agency "will continue to do everything in our power to end veteran homelessness -- both in Los Angeles and across America. No veteran should be homeless in this country they swore to defend, and we will not rest until veteran homelessness is a thing of the past."

Hayes did not comment on the judge's findings regarding the leaseholders.

Although the land leases on the West L.A. VA's property are now void, those involved have to figure out what to do with the multi-million dollar facilities on that land.

Judge Carter was frustrated in court on Wednesday with UCLA, the Brentwood school, Bridgeland Oil and Safe Park, saying he's being slow walked.

Carter maintained he'll stay in open session until this is resolved. He took aim at UCLA's interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt who was not in court, but after pressure, UCLA's lawyer announced Hunt would be there Wednesday night. It was unclear if he's even able to do this. Carter threatened to have VA police cordon off UCLA's baseball facility including Jackie Robinson Stadium until UCLA presented a proposal that helps create housing for homeless veterans.

"It's just disheartening that Brentwood school and UCLA, all they're doing is trying to argue that they're not in violation of the law when the law is very simple. anything on that property has to principally benefit veterans and their families. This has been an issue for decades and the judge is seeing everything we have seen over the years that the VA has continued to enter into illegal land use agreements with UCLA, Brentwood School, Bridgeland Oil and Safety Park," said Rob Reynolds, an Iraq War veteran.

After hearing excuses, Judge Carter said "we're asking our military folks to do incredible things. You can do incredible things."

After a proposal was made by Bridgeland Oil, Carter threatened to cap the oil well immediately saying, "if the goal is to get our veterans away from hazardous conditions, why would we do that? I don't know if I would let a dog walk on it right now. These veterans are not going to be at or near this oil well."

Carter called the situation of homeless veterans an emergency.

"I'm getting the feeling this land is not important to UCLA," he said.

In regards to the 22 acres of leased land by the Brentwood School, which houses their sports facility including a swimming pool, Carter said, "I will fill this in with sand if I have to. But I don't want to."

At one point, the lawyer representing Brentwood School said "this is very, very important to the school. We're looking for a win-win for the veterans. We want to make it better. We have a lot of ideas that we think are viable that would be viable to the veterans."

"I know Brentwood School is concerned about their students who utilize those facilities. From our side, we're more concerned about the homeless and destitute veterans who are sleeping and dying all over the streets of Los Angeles. I'm fairly confident that the students going to that school, if their parents can afford a $50,000 a year tuition, those students will be just fine," said Reynolds

Judge Carter's ruling also orders the VA to build 750 units of temporary housing within 12 to 18 months and form a plan within six months to add another 1,800 units of permanent housing. This would be on top of the 1200 units already in planning and construction.

City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report.