A Life of Purpose

Dr. Kirin Agustin Rajagopalan was a beloved son, brother, family member, friend, teacher, scholar, musician, gifted cook, mentor, social justice advocate, animal lover, and intentional traveler.

Kirin was intelligent, creative, humble, and deeply compassionate. He brought people together and nurtured those he loved through food, music, conversation, education, and community. He loved his family and honored his benevolent ancestors. Kirin believed that to know who we are, we must know where we come from—a lesson he shared with his students and carried throughout his life.

Teacher and Warrior Scholar

Kirin served as a founding teacher at The FREEdom School, where he taught Ethnic Studies and English and looped with the same students for three years, from 2023 to 2026. He exemplified the warrior scholar.

During his tenure, Kirin earned his doctorate in Cultural Studies from UC Davis. He was preparing to begin his dream position as a tenure-track Professor of Ethnic Studies at Los Medanos Community College.

Education was more than Kirin’s profession. He believed in knowledge of self, community empowerment, and the power of education to create freedom. In recognition of these values, the Homies Empowerment FREEdom School library is being named the Dr. Kirin Rajagopalan FREEdom Library in his honor.

Kirin was also an accomplished self-taught musician and a gifted cook who used food as a love language. He traveled intentionally and respectfully, always seeking a deeper understanding of people, culture, history, and place.

The Story We Are Still Trying to Understand

Kirin died in 2026, shortly after completing his doctorate and as he stood at the threshold of the future he had worked so hard to build.

His death devastated our family. In the weeks that followed, we began learning troubling details about the final months of his life that we had not previously known.

Kirin’s relationship of approximately ten years had ended in early March 2026. After the breakup, he and his former partner continued living at the same residence, with Kirin staying in a downstairs garage bedroom. We believe he was emotionally devastated and continued trying to repair the relationship.

As his family, we are still working to understand what Kirin experienced during this period and what occurred during the final days and hours of his life. We are gathering information, preserving available records, and seeking answers to questions that remain unresolved.

We do not present our questions as proven conclusions. We are asking for a complete, careful, and impartial examination of all relevant information.

Why We Seek Justice

For our family, justice begins with truth.

Justice means ensuring that Kirin’s life is represented honestly and that the circumstances surrounding his death receive the serious attention they deserve. It means seeking transparency, accountability, and a fuller understanding of what happened.

It also means raising awareness about emotional and psychological abuse—forms of harm that are not always visible but can have devastating consequences.

Kirin was far more than the circumstances of his death. He was an extraordinary person who gave love, knowledge, joy, and purpose to his family, students, friends, and community. We will continue to honor the fullness of his life while seeking the truth about its ending.

His life mattered. His story deserves to be told truthfully.

#JusticeForKirin