9/11 reference professor must go, says university chief

The chief of the University of Colorado’s flagship campus has called on the school to sack a professor who compared some World Trade Centre victims to a Nazi war criminal and faces allegations of academic misconduct.

Interim chancellor Philip DiStefano said Ward Churchill had 10 days to go to a faculty committee to appeal against his recommendation.

Churchill, a tenured professor of ethnic studies, has denied the allegations of plagiarism.

Churchill’s lawyer, David Lane, said his client would appeal through university channels but did not think the school would reverse the sacking.

“I can’t imagine that CU is going to suddenly decide the First Amendment deserves some respect,” Lane said. He said Churchill would sue if the sacking is upheld. The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and other basic rights.

In an essay written shortly after the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks, Churchill described some of the victims in the World Trade Centre as “little Eichmanns”, a reference to Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann. The essay was largely ignored until last January, when it came to light before Churchill was to speak at Hamilton College in upstate New York.

The essay triggered calls for Churchill to be fired, but university chiefs concluded he could not be dismissed because of free speech protections. However, they did order an investigation into claims of academic misconduct, which concluded two weeks ago.

The school’s committee on research misconduct said Churchill “has committed serious, repeated, and deliberate research misconduct”.

DiStefano agreed and said he had told Churchill he hoped to dismiss him.

Churchill has been relieved of academic work but will remain a paid faculty member as long as the sacking is in the appeals process, university officials say.