Don't Fire Ward Churchill Says ACLU

Witch hunt or academic misconduct? The ACLU begs for Ward to be set free, CU defends the findings of multiple committees:

"I think that the protection of the First Amendment rights is vital in the university and in the general public," said Cathy Hazouri, executive director of ACLU of Colorado.

The letter, signed by Hazouri and Anthony Romero, ACLU executive director, was delivered to the regent’s office today. Calls for Churchill’s termination were the result of his expression of unpopular views, not because of the quality of his scholarship, the letter said.

"The investigation of professor Churchill’s scholarship cannot be separated from the indefensible lynch-mob furor that generated the initial calls for his termination," the letter said.

Churchill caused a furor when he wrote an essay comparing some Sept. 11 victims to a Nazi leader, but the university has said such comments are protected speech and that Churchill’s problems stem from findings that he committed plagiarism and research misconduct.

Today, CU spokeswoman Michele McKinney said she could not speak on behalf of the regents in regards to the ACLU letter.

"More than 25 fully tenured faculty members from CU and other institutions served on three panels and unanimously determined that Professor Churchill engaged in acts of research misconduct," she said. "The university has an obligation to review such findings and determine what, if any, sanction is warranted."

How dare anyone use patriarchal, imperialistic, racist sanctions against Ward Churchill?

Someone please pass the Kool-Aid.

**Update--
PirateBallerina has the whole press release--and it seems the ACLU is drinking the same Kook-Aid as Churchill's most ardent (and deranged) supporters.