The University of Colorado at Boulder's chancellor notified professor Ward Churchill on Monday that he intends to fire him, capping a 15-month investigation that began in the wake of Churchill's notorious essay comparing victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to a Nazi.Churchill, who was found to have plagiarized, falsified and fabricated in his research, was relieved of his duties by interim chancellor Phil DiStefano, but he will stay on the CU payroll until the termination is final.
The ethnic-studies professor has 10 days to appeal to the university's privilege and tenure committee for a hearing, a process that could last from a couple of weeks to several months.
Good idea, but not a sure thing yet.
Churchill will request a hearing before the six-member privilege and tenure committee, but he doesn't expect an outcome in his favor, said his attorney, David Lane.When the last "rubber stamp comes down" on Churchill's termination, Lane will file a federal lawsuit accusing CU of retaliating against the professor for comments that were protected by the First Amendment, he said.
"They've been looking for a year and a half for enough window dressing so that when they fire him in retaliation for his speech, it will have the appearance of legitimacy," Lane said.
Yeah, they took a year and a half to perform a careful investigation, yet it's retaliation? Nice to see that lawyers still have no prerequisite to be in touch with reality.
Wonder when the professors will start protesting this?
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