Editorial: How can the L.A. Zoo and its fundraising arm end their feud?

For six decades, the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn., known as GLAZA, has been the nonprofit fundraising arm of the Los Angeles Zoo. She said the fact that the city decided to take all of GLAZA’s responsibilities for the last 60 years “and carve them into six, distinct separate categories is a very clear sign that the City has no interest in continuing our overarching partnership.” Then GLAZA went rogue — or so the city basically contends in a breach-of-contract lawsuit it filed against GLAZA late last month. And on top of all that, GLAZA “unilaterally” canceled the zoo’s signature annual fundraising gala, the Beastly Ball, for June 2025. In a Dec. 6 letter, a lawyer for GLAZA responded that “it was with great sadness and surprise when GLAZA received the City’s November 8 letter accusing GLAZA of multiple acts of wrongdoing, including breach of fiduciary duty and financial misappropriation.” Among other things, the association argues that it is keeping control of the restricted funds — that are donated for specific exhibits or projects — only to make sure they get used for the donors’ intended purposes. The lawyer also contends that GLAZA is an independent organization, “not a department of the City or under City management or control,” and that neither the city nor the zoo has control over the Endowment Fund.