9. Wildfires
Readers’ picks
10. CU recruiting scandal
9. Ward Churchill
8. Rocky Flats cleaned up
7. Nobel prizes
6. Adverse posession
5. Library flag flap
Editor’s note: The Camera is counting down the Top 10 local news stories of the decade as chosen by newsroom staff. Readers also selected their top picks by voting at dailycamera.com.
In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, University of Colorado Professor Ward Churchill quietly penned an essay from his gut about the day’s events.
And, until 2005, the ethnic studies professor’s online essay — which argued the attacks were not senseless, but a direct result of American policies — went unnoticed.
That all changed on Jan. 26, 2005, when students at Hamilton College in New York protested their school’s invitation to have Churchill speak on campus. Churchill, and his essay, were catapulted into the national spotlight, setting into motion a chain of debates and protests regarding academic freedom.
Churchill attracted critics, such as conservative author David Horowitz, who included the professor in the book “The Professors: The 101 most dangerous academics in America.” And Churchill also had loyal supporters, including Russell Means, a well-known Native American activist and actor.
CU’s regents in 2007 voted 8-1 to fire Churchill because of academic-misconduct violations, after faculty members charged with investigating Churchill’s body of work found patterns of plagiarism, fabricated facts and other academic-misconduct violations they said were deliberate.
Churchill sued the university, alleging he was really fired because of his controversial speech. The 9/11 essay ignited national furor because it called some victims “little Eichmanns,” a reference to Adolf Eichmann, who helped carry out Hitler’s plan to exterminate Europe’s Jews during World War II.
A Denver jury found that CU unlawfully fired Churchill for exercising his right to free speech but awarded him only $1 in damages. After considering the jury’s ruling, Chief Denver District Judge Larry Naves decided against awarding Churchill his job back at CU or any compensation.
Churchill and his attorney David Lane have appealed the ruling.
University officials expect appellate court judges to rule on the appeal in 2010.
The case of Churchill prompted CU to reform its policies surrounding tenure, which is higher education’s coveted job protection.
The outside review CU commissioned of its tenure system found that although policies were well-designed, there were some flaws with how tenured professors are evaluated, and said it was too difficult to remove them from their classrooms even if they are falling below professional standards.
CU implemented the 40 tenure recommendations, which includes a random audit of tenure case files to be conducted every five years to make sure policies are being followed.
Contact Camera Staff Writer Brittany Anas at 303-473-1132 or anasb@dailycamera.com.
