Sometimes a person is held accountable for his words. Ward Churchill was fired today by the University of Colorado Board of Regents.
Read the story.
At least officially, Churchill was not fired for infamously comparing innocent World Trade Center victims to “little Eichmanns.” Adolph Eichmann, of course, organized the Holocaust. That academic nonsense was included in a presentation he gave that set off a firestorm of well-deserved negative publicity and unwanted academic scrutiny.
He might have been fired for inciting violence, but on a college campus apparently professors have the right to yell fire in a crowded movie theater.
Instead, Churchill was investigated after a string of his academic fabrications and plagiarism came to light. The vote of the regents was 8-1 after concluding Ward Churchill engaged in academic misconduct. So you see, a little craving for attention can result in unintended consequences. What goes around comes around for Ward Churchill.
A rag-tag group of protesters with bongo drums held a rally for Churchill while he was being dismissed by the University of Colorado regents. Just say “free speech” and the nuts of the world will unite behind any cause no matter how petty.
The irony to me is that Ward Churchill will challenge his firing in court, while the Islamic militants he comforts continue to behead those who disagree with them.
Some are amused that anyone would protest the firing of an Ethnic Studies professor for any reason. The University of Colorado is wasting valuable resources on a useless program that is offensive to American values by its very nature, but that is the culture we live in today. All of the major university campuses offer this job-killing trap to students.
Somehow I think the students will be better served without Ward Churchill. And after all, that is the goal of education rather than the ego-satisfaction of mediocre professors.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
how do you screw up a tenured position?
really … how stuuuuuupiiiiid is he?
all you have to do is go teach your class six hours a week, thirty-two weeks a year, and not say something completely stupid …
rules for new teachers
1.) stay away from issues regarding politics
b.) stay away from issues regarding sex/ed
V.) stay away from issues regarding racial issues … unless you are in that department, and then just say there are issues …
otherwise say NOTHING in public
are these too hard?
July 24th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
oh yeah, say nothing about religion either …
July 24th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
This guy is the definition of a scumbag. To all of the loonies on the far left, save your breath. This guy was not fired for his moronic views, although he should have been. He was fired for being a dishonest academic. The loonies will somehow morph this into a free speech issue.
July 24th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
He has gained super hero status with the left because of his repugnant beliefs and statements. Now the left will believe that he walks on water. He will likely make millions from his lawsuit against the university. He will be portrayed as an underdog and martyr by the left-wing press. He will be paid millions more on the lecture circuit as the darling of extremists everywhere.
July 25th, 2007 at 1:01 am
The problem here is that his lawyer, David Lane (who called the CU regents “GOP stooges”!) has already announced his intention to sue the Regents, CU, and the State of Colorado.
I can predict that after two or so years of legal wrangling, all while Churchill will likely continue to draw a salary for staying home, CU will agree to an eight figure “settlement” because it will still be cheaper than keeping their team of lawyers on the case.
Meanwhile, Churchill will get a job at Berkeley, Harvard, Yale or Madison for six figures, will continue to charge five figures on the lecture circuit, and the only ones punished will be Colorado tax payers who will see increased taxes to keep CU solvent in the face of Churchill’s “settlement.”
July 25th, 2007 at 1:14 am
I agree Bill. Sometimes doing the right thing is not the cheapest thing in the short term. In the long-run, however, the good reputation of a university is more important for general fundraising, alumni contribution, and even the generosity of the sponsoring state government.
July 25th, 2007 at 7:16 am
Yeah, he probably will get a monetary settlement. I like the leftists saying uh lying that he was fired because of the school being against free speech. He was fired because he lied and plagarized.
July 25th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
tina,
he basically is being fired for his political views … had he kept his mouth shut he’d still have a job.
tenure is supposed to protect you against firings for your political views …
his academic dishonesty, if it exists. is just an excuse to get rid of a embarassing teacher.
the same happens too regular school teachers like me. in theory we can’t be fired after three years or so, but if you took down a picture of george bush or put up a symbol of islam … they’d find a way to get rid of you.
we always tell new teachers, “just do your job. keep your mouth shut about drugs, sex, alcohol, religion etc.” and you’ll be find.
this is actually why Christmas still exists in public schools though maybe not as openly as it once was. the parents like Christmas, so we still have paper chains, and children sing a longs, and parties etc. if we didn’t people would get mad.
July 25th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
“find” should be “fine”
July 25th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Lisab – that sounds like very good advice for a new teacher.
July 25th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
yes, it really is …
people think we are all these trouble maker types … and maybe that is somewhat true …
but mostly teachers like not to be bothered … and generally the rule is “don’t do anything that will upset the parents or heaven forbid end up on the news” … which if you think about it, really leaves a lot of leeway
July 25th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
Well ok, but we ARE talking about a college professor and not a kindegarten teacher. Ward Churchill’s job is to educate students which often involves controversial subjects on a college campus. That is why college professors are generally granted more freedom of speech protections, whether judicially or via campus policy. His problem is NOT that he discussed controversial subject matter, but that he intentionally presented flagrant hate speech. That, and the little matter of plagiarism and falsification of his background which everyone wants to gloss over.
July 25th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
he basically is being fired for his political views … had he kept his mouth shut he’d still have a job.
Half true. If he’d kept his mouth shut, there never would have been the kind of scrutiny that he faced and people would never have been so aware of the fabrications and the plagiarism.
He’s not being fired for his political opinions, he’s being fired for his academic dishonesty.
his academic dishonesty, if it exists. is just an excuse to get rid of a embarassing teacher.
His academic dishonesty–and it definitely exists–is why he’s an embarrassing teacher. His disgusting political views are why he’s an embarrassing human being.
My girlfriend is a teacher (and falls pretty far to the left of me politically) and she’s happy he’s being fired for violating reasonable rules of conduct for a teacher at any level of academia. Further, while she doesn’t hate Dubya with the same fervency of some of her co-workers, she’s never had a picture of the man in any of her classrooms (and I’ve been with her for around 5 years now). Strangely, she still has a job.
As for the accusations against Churchill, this is what Denver’s more left leaning paper had to say on the subject a couple days ago:
There is no doubt in my mind–and do read the Report of the Investigative Committee that was released last year for background–that Churchill is a liar and a plagiarist. Quite aside from his political opinions, the man doesn’t deserve to be in a teaching position in any self-respecting college in this nation. He has proven himself to be unworthy of the position.
I think that it is telling that his defenders do their best to ignore all of the evidence of plagiarism and academic misconduct, preferring instead to divert attention to some supposed muzzling of his right to free speech. It makes perfect sense since his academic conduct is entirely indefensible.
July 26th, 2007 at 4:11 am
No question his firing does not have anything to do with his polical views, as McCain points out. Its pretty evident why he was fired.
July 26th, 2007 at 7:41 am
I am not surprised that someone with his viewpoints would engage in what is really academic cheating.
Churchill is not very smart, however he will get a settlement. A guy like him can not go away and stop behaving like a total moron. He really believes that he is above the law. It is only a matter of time before he commits a felony. I think he has the right complexion for and orange jump suit!
July 26th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Good riddance to him. He may get a job somewhere, but most academicians just want to do their job and not have the national scrutiny that his hiring would bring. We’ll see what happens.
Lisab is right – plagerism, etc. is one of the only ways to lose tenure. He has an uphill battle.
July 26th, 2007 at 10:17 am
“Further, while she doesn’t hate Dubya with the same fervency of some of her co-workers, she’s never had a picture of the man in any of her classrooms”
David J.,
that reference is to a teacher who got in trouble for having a picture of all the presidents on her wall … but during the election did NOT put a picture of john kerry on her wall when a parent requested … strangely i think it was a republican teacher.
she got national attention and perhaps was suspended … stupid cow.
now the correct response would be to have all the presidents and then a picture of bush and kerry with the sentence, “who will be the next president”?
oh, and most teachers are pretty far to the left but actually not that many HATE bush. teachers may not like bush at all, but hate is a very strong word and teachers are kinda smart. kinda. sooooo its been my experience that we tend to be more sarcastic hateful.
July 26th, 2007 at 10:18 am
well … ok some teachers hate bush
but many just despise him
July 26th, 2007 at 10:22 am
tina,
pleaaaaaaase … he was fired exactly because of his political views … which were embarassing to the university
david is correct, had he kept his mouth shut they wouldn’t have investigated his publications looking for something …
not to say btw, that he doesn’t deserve to be fired for plagarism … if he did it. he’ll get precious little support from academics if he actually plagarized …
there is a difference between not attributing appropriately … which is a mistake, and plagarizing. if he plagarized than
tough noogies … he has to go
July 26th, 2007 at 10:59 am
case in point alex haley, of all people, has been somewhat ostrasized by academics because he plagarized prt of roots …
he claims it was just a mistake of attribution, and paid restitution to the original author …
but that mistake has cost him his place as a premier leader of african americans today. ward churchill will suffer if he plagarized …
avada kedavra (the killing curse)
crucio (the cruciatus curse)
imperio (the imperius curse)
and
plagarism
are the four unforgivable curses
July 26th, 2007 at 11:21 am
East Coast, West Coast; Goings-On, On-Campus:
Indeed, Colorado is ground zero for much that happens in academia, as far away as California. In Colorado, Ward Churchill had a friend, Ruben G. Mendoza, a teaching assistant at the University of Colorado, Denver. His department Chair Dr. Lorna Moore, for abusing students, booted Ruben from the university, against which Mendoza promptly filed suit.
Mendoza resurfaced and got fast-tracked to tenure through one Steven F. Arvizu, at CSU Monterey Bay. Where Mendoza became the nosebleed of the fledgling university. And, Churchill was invited to CSUMB by Ruben to speak at a weeklong gathering of the clan. Mendoza has also engaged in academic misconduct for years, so far without consequence. Point being, miscreants like Churchill and Mendoza do not exist in a vacuum, but have powerful political backers.
No Getting Out
The Taliban might as well as run the university. -David Horowitz
Set the Wayback Machine for 23 August 1995: a hot day in the nation’s capitol. But 3000 miles due west on California’s Central Coast, a constellation of events was unfolding that would have a profound effect on Western civilization; plunge it into decades of war. Yet, this cataclysmic upheaval was only part of the plan.
Bill Clinton picked up the telephone. It was his Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, calling from a payphone in Monterey. Bill held the receiver at arms length and gazed at the tasteful floral arrangement that adorned the Oval Office. Leon’s disembodied voice filled the room. What now, asked Hillary. It’s that damn college, mouthed Bill. There was, no getting out. Hillary nodded, just tell Leon he’ll get whatever he needs: http://theseedsof9-11.com
July 26th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Lisa, I’m amused with your story about presidential pictures. It seems the correct response to the parents was given – shove off. Bush was the president at the time and it was a collection of presidents. Your answer would have required all the 3rd party candidates as well including David Duke.
FYI, they have already concluded that Ward Churchill plagiarized. There isn’t any “if” about it and it seems to me that is already one helluva ostracized professor, and deservedly so.
July 26th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
No Lisab – if he was fired for his political viewpoints as you allege – then he would have been gone a long time ago and that would have been weak. Your are spinning faster than Bill Clinton’s politcal hacks. Its pretty clear why he was fired and that the univesity built up its case against him.
With that said, I also think he will get a big settlement – because that’s how the game is played. It is what it is.
July 26th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
tina,
yes it is what it is … had he kept his mouth shut he’d still be there
July 26th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
McCain,
if a parent asked for third party candidates to be listed … you list them.
it isn’t hard to comprehend. the parents pay taxes, so they are the customers.
you would not of course list kerry as a president, simply as a candidate.