Meh, we'll see. Professors have been writing on contreversial topics outside of their fields for years. Alfred Kinsey was an entomologist before he started his sex surveys. And Noam Chomsky is, by occupation, a lingusit, (hell of a linguist, actually) but he's best known for his social commentary.
Now, to be fair, Churchill isn't anywhere near as brilliant as those two examples, but he is a tenured professor. Historically, tenure would protect Churchill in this situation and I don't think that things will be any different this time.
Was Kinsey a professor? I thought he had his own research institute. No matter, I'd have fired his butt for moral turpitude. Chomsky is another matter. He's a jerk, but what he has said (while smug, self-satisfied, and wrong)is within the bounds of civil discourse.