Churchill supporters ready for 'D-Day'
CU increases security for today's pivotal vote
By Brittany Anas
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Supporters of Ward Churchill are calling today "D-Day" in the struggle to defend the embattled University of Colorado professor and free speech on the campus.
Meanwhile, officials on the Boulder campus plan to take extra security measures as the regents hear — behind closed doors — attorneys' arguments in Churchill's academic-misconduct case. "In any event, where feelings run high and opinions are strong, you have to take the appropriate security measures," said CU spokesman Bronson Hilliard.
The Board of Regents will vote at a public meeting late in the afternoon whether to fire Churchill, a tenured professor, because of plagiarism, fabrication and other violations an investigative panel first reported finding in his work more than a year ago.
There's been a flurry of posts on Churchill-watching blogs such as Pirate Ballerina, which has been counting down the days until today's "dismissalooza." Critics of Churchill say his case is not a political one — but rather an issue of academic integrity and an abuse of tenure, higher-education's coveted job protection.
'Preparing for the worst'
Hilliard said that as a matter of security, he couldn't discuss the measures university officials will put in place today, nor could he comment on any changes in the levels of police and security guard staffing. "We feel good about the level of security that we have," Hilliard said. "What we have to do is provide safety for the public to express their opinions, and safety for the board to get their business done."
CU Regent Pat Hayes, chairwoman of the board, said she hopes the day goes smoothly. "We are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst," she said.
In February 2005, CU canceled a speech by Churchill because of safety concerns, then allowed it to go on as scheduled after the student group hosting the event retracted claims of getting death threats.
That same month, a tussle broke out at a regents' meeting on the Churchill case. An Adams County jury in February acquitted activist Shareef Aleem, who was charged with second-degree assault after a fight with a law-enforcement officer at the meeting.
Churchill, and many of the scholars and students backing him, say the investigations, hearings and meetings over the past 2½ years have been part of a politically motivated attack on unpopular points of view.
Churchill says he expects the regents will vote to fire him today — something he said he believes they've set out to do since his 9/11 essay touched off national controversy in January 2005. The essay compared some victims of terrorism to a notorious Nazi.
Then-Gov. Bill Owens called on Churchill to be fired for his essay in the days after it became widespread.
Supporters plan peaceful events
A core group of Churchill's supporters — including CU students and professors — are urging those who join them today for an on-campus vigil and rally to keep the peace.
Among those who will publicly defend him are Margaret LeCompte, an education professor; Emma Perez, associate professor and former chairwoman of ethnic studies; Hadley Brown, a student-body president; and Ann-erika White Bird, of a group called Students for True Academic Freedom.
The pro-Churchill group plans a small rally at 7:30 a.m. on the south plaza of the University Memorial Center before the regents begin meeting. The board is scheduled to meet in public at 8 a.m. in the UMC to announce it will go into executive session.
Supporters plan to keep the vigil going while the hearing happens behind closed doors, then hold a larger rally at 3:30 p.m. before the regents vote in public on Churchill's employment fate. The university also will provide an open microphone for people to voice their opinions after the vote.
Churchill's supporters are sending a message of urgency in an attempt to rally support before the university's last official step in the dismissal case. "Our enemies are watching — this attack on Prof. Churchill is a key right-wing 'test case' for a much broader national assault," says the supporters' e-mail. "The easier they think it is to fire Ward Churchill on bogus charges of research misconduct, the more attacks we'll see on professors, staff and students, on ethnic studies and women's studies programs, and on critical thinking."
Churchill's attorney, David Lane, has said today's hearing should be public. But confidentiality rules governing dismissal-for-cause cases — which were drawn up by faculty members and adopted by the regents — call for the hearing to be private, according to CU officials.
The regents and CU president, as well as Churchill and his supporters, plan separate public appearances after the vote.
Today's vote
The University of Colorado regents will decide whether to fire professor Ward Churchill after a special meeting and hearing today. Here's a schedule of the day — including official university proceedings and demonstrations planned by supporters:
7:30 a.m.: Churchill supporters meet on the south terrace of the University Memorial Center to hold a small rally and begin staging a vigil. Organizers said they plan to hold the vigil throughout the day while the hearing happens behind closed doors.
8 a.m.: The Board of Regents will meet in public in the UMC to announce that it will go into executive session.
8:15 a.m. until at least 4 p.m.: In private, the regents will be briefed by the board's attorneys before holding a hearing.
The private hearing will include arguments from Churchill and his attorney; university counsel; and the counsel representing CU's Privilege and Tenure Committee. Each party will have a set amount of time to present its case to the board. Regents can ask questions, but no new evidence can be presented.
The regents will then deliberate.
3:30 p.m.: Churchill supporters will rejuvenate their demonstration with a large rally. They are urging those who join them to be peaceful.
4 p.m. or later: Regents will meet again in a public session in the UMC's Glenn Miller Ballroom to vote on CU President Hank Brown's recommendation that Churchill be fired.
Video of the meeting will be streamed online at
http://www.cu.edu.
After the meeting: Brown and Regent Pat Hayes, chairwoman of the board, will hold a news conference in UMC Room 235. Media credentials are required, but the conference will also be streamed online. CU said an open microphone will be available at the end of the day for anybody who wants to express "their personal opinions on topics related to the events of the day."
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