Ward Churchill and Academic Freedom

The depth of absurdity in academia seems to be playing out in Colorado.

Take one "professor" who seems to have the following characteristics -

1. An absurd "scholarly" record where a faculty panel found that much of his work has been "intentionally plagarized" and fabricated in other ways. Before his fabrications this professor had a mediocre preparation to become a professor and mis-stated his qualifications when he was originally hired.
2. A manufactured identity - claiming to be a Native American but with little or no legitimate evidence of that claim. Evidence that the University where he works hired him for some bizarre affirmative action goal rather than for any long term academic need.
3. A long record of making outrageous and unsubstantiated comments in areas where his perceived scholarly expertise is lacking. His most outrageous remarks, made soon after 9/11 were that the victims were "little Eichmans" - arguing that those killed in the twin towers were somehow similar to the WWII Nazi officer who actively developed and led an effort to deport and exterminate millions of people in Europe."

By any reasonable standard, this professor would never have been hired at a legitimate university. But he was.

His defenders make comments comparing his firing to “an opening wedge in the concerted effort to curb academic freedom and tenure.” (Margaret Le Compte, professor of Education at UC Boulder). The faculty committee, after an extended review of his record decided this professor should be disciplined but the president decided that his actions and record recommended removal.

So what is academic freedom?

In 1994, at the height of speech codes the American Association of University Professors opined against speech codes with the following comment "Freedom of thought and expression is essential to any institution of higher learning. Universitiesand colleges exist not only to transmit knowledge. Equally, they interpret, explore, and expand that knowledge by testing the old and proposing the new."

Academic freedom, at least from what I have learned over my career, encourages professors to pursue ideas without threat of retribution. During the McCarthy period that allowed many on the left to pursue their ideas. But in this era, at least according to Ward Churchill's defenders - academic freedom allows a professor to make absurd and unsubstantiated comments. Academic freedom requires some reasonable level of responsibility and preparation. Mr. Churchill seems to have neither.

In 2000 I was lucky enough to attend a symposium with the Pope, John Paul II. He was speaking to a bunch of academics. He said what is the job of the university? It is to pursue truth. Then he asked what are the potential perils for a university? The first was that it would not pursue truth. The second was that it would pursue "endless meanderings in erudition."

Churchill clearly does not try to pursue truth in any form but his own twisted creation of it. If you take the AAUP definitions of academic freedom or the Holy Father's - either suggests that Mr. Churchill should be dismissed.