Heather Caruso, the UCLA Anderson School of Management’s associate dean for equity, diversity and inclusion, testified Friday that she found Klein’s conduct especially concerning due to the broader social context in June 2020.

“It sort of felt like the world was on fire,” Caruso said.

Caruso likened Klein’s email to a neighbor setting off fireworks during the January 2025 Los Angeles County fires. She testified that she was concerned about Klein’s behavior, saying he did not exercise sound judgement when communicating with students and that such conduct was not in line with the school’s high standards for professors.