Ward Churchill

Ward Churchill

Ward Churchill doesn't deserve the attention that he's getting.

He doesn't deserve to be elevated to free speech martyr status, but that's what he's striving for.

BOULDER, Colo. -- The University of Colorado's governing board on Tuesday fired a professor whose essay likening some Sept. 11 victims to a Nazi leader provoked national outrage and led to an investigation of research misconduct.

Ward Churchill vowed to sue, saying "New game, new game," after the Board of Regents' 8-1 vote was announced.

Three faculty committees had accused Churchill of plagiarism, falsification and other misconduct. The research allegations stem from some of Churchill's other writings, although the investigation began after the controversy over his Sept. 11 essay.

"The decision was really pretty basic," said university President Hank Brown, adding that the school had little choice but to fire Churchill to protect the integrity of the university's research.

"The individual did not express regret, did not apologize, did not indicate a willingness to refrain from this type of falsification in the future," Brown said.

Churchill's essay mentioning Sept. 11 victims and Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann prompted a chorus of demands for his firing, but university officials concluded it was protected speech under the First Amendment.

But Brown recommended in May that the regents fire Churchill after faculty committees accused him of misconduct in some of his academic writing. The allegations included misrepresenting the effects of federal laws on American Indians, fabricating evidence that the Army deliberately spread smallpox to Mandan Indians in 1837, and claiming the work of a Canadian environmental group as his own.

Let Churchill sue.

Let the plagiarist have his day in court.

Let all the facts come out.

But the essay that thrust Churchill into the national spotlight, titled "Some People Push Back: On the Justice of Roosting Chickens," was not part of the investigation.

That essay and a follow-up book argued that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were a response to a long history of U.S. abuses. Churchill said those killed in the World Trade Center collapse were "a technocratic corps at the very heart of America's global financial empire" and called them "little Eichmanns."

As far as Churchill's disgusting essay goes, I defend his right to say despicable things.

I also defend the rights of the rest of us to respond and express ourselves.

We get to say that Churchill is a disgrace. We get to stand up for the victims of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. We get to call Churchill a racist, a media whore, and a plagiarist.

..."I am going nowhere," Churchill told reporters, calling the academic investigation "a farce" and "a fraud."

Churchill's attorney, David Lane, said that the decision was retribution for Churchill's Sept. 11 remarks and that he would file suit on Wednesday.

"For the public at large, the message is there will be a payback for free speech," Lane said. "It sends a message out to the academic community generally that if you stick your neck out and make politically inflammatory comments, you will be dragged through the mud for two years and you will ultimately have your tenure terminated."

Of course, Churchill's lawyer would say that the firing was payback.

Of course, that's lame.

Yes, Churchill's essay about 9/11 put him under the microscope.

As a result, his intellectual dishonesty and plagiarism were discovered.

That's not payback for free speech. That's the price of drawing attention to yourself. If Churchill had not committed misconduct in his academic writing, it wouldn't be an issue.

Students aren't allowed to plagiarize. Why should faculty be granted slack for cheating?

Sue Churchill, sue.

Highlight what a loser you are.
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The Lefty NBC should be cited for journalistic misconduct.

Look at this headline:



While technically correct, "Professor fired after 9/11-Nazi comparison" makes it sound like Churchill's dismissal was the result of the 9/11-Nazi comparison rather than his misconduct in his academic writings.

It's a deceptive headline. It's typical NBC.