Posted on 07/07/2009 11:53:08 AM PDT by Mount Athos
Boulder learning will go on without Ward Churchill.
On Tuesday Judge Larry Naves granted CU's and the Board of Regent's motion for judgement as a matter of law that the Board of Regents is immune from being sued and vacates the jury verdict from April of this year.
Naves also denied Churchill's motion for reinstatement of employment as well as any "front" pay.
He essentially got nothing.
"We are very gratified with the decision," said Bronson Hilliard, spokesman for CU Boulder.
The ethnic studies professor had sued the University of Colorado in an attempt to regain his teaching post.
Churchill was fired in 2007, following a two year investigation into allegations Churchill fabricated some of his scholarly publications.
But a Denver jury in April of 2009 ruled the school had only fired him after controversy erupted surrounding an essay he'd written in September , 2001, comparing the 9-11 victims of terrorism to a Nazi leader.
That ruling included only a symbolic damage award of $ 1.
In court last week, Churchill testified before Chief Denver District Court Judge Larry Naves that money was not his motivation for this lawsuit.
Today, Naves ruled "because quasi-judicial immunity was a 'defense that would have been applicable to any of its officials or employees' it is a defense available to the University and the Board of Regents. In this case, it is clear that the Board of Regents performed a quasi-judicial function and acted in a quasi-judicial capacity when it heard Professor Churchills case and terminated his employment," Naves wrote. "Based on the foregoing, it is hereby ORDERED that Defendants are GRANTED quasi-judicial immunity as a matter of law from Professor Churchills Second Claim for Relief. As a result, the jurys verdict in this matter is hereby VACATED, and judgment is hereby entered in favor of Defendants on Professor Churchills Second Claim for Relief."
Somehow I doubt it, as he doesn’t even have an actual earned doctorate! Even those with real doctorates who have done real scholarship have trouble finding such positions. I was just reading up on his background, what a incredible B.S. artist this guy is! He deserves a PH.D in B.S. and opportunism.
Yes, yes and yes.
He should have to pay all court costs.
He could be Biden's head speech plagiarist.
“But a Denver jury in April of 2009 ruled the school had only fired him after controversy erupted surrounding an essay he’d written in September , 2001, comparing the 9-11 victims of terrorism to a Nazi leader.”
I always had trouble with this decision! The “chicken” thing put him on the radar screen, but the investigation that followed uncovered the facts that led to his firing.
Occasionally there is justice in this world. I was seriously thinking it didn’t exist anymore after learning that Minnesota ruled Al Franken had won the contested senate seat.
Beat me to it .... but it is good enough to repeat
Na na na na, Na na na na, hey, hey, hey, Goodbye!
Wow!
I think it will be the lecture circuit. Even the academic left frowns enough on his brand of plagiarism and fraud that I dont think he would have much chance of being hired. And if a faculty actually wanted him, the administration would probably fear a backlash from alumni.
I could not agree more that we have not heard the last from this character.
Good, but it does sort of ruin my husband's idea of sending him a fake Sacajawea dollar.
I saw a classmate in college get a 0 on a paper (which was ¼ of our grade) because he hadn't footnoted one section properly. Improper attribution = using someone's words as your own.
Churchill did much worse than make a few unintentional mistakes.
At the end of the day, if the rules are good enough for the students he teaches (and they are), it's good enough for him.
I mentioned the dollar menu because I misread the date of his receiving a judgment of one dollar. This is a happy day with this Churchill news.
After weeks of bad news, this is refreshing.
Me too. I think justice was done. But I'm not at ease with this decision either.
When exactly does a Board of Regents have judicial immunity? And should they have immunity? When are they deemed acting in a quasi-judicial capacity? And does a board or regency have said quasi-judicial capacity regardless of what they rule? And is there any appeal for a board of regents acting in a quai-judicial capacity?
This decision makes my stomach quasi.
Ward now has more time to watch 9-11 tapes and root for the attackers.
“Who wants to take bets as to where?”
He would fit in perfectly at Berkeley.
That’s some much needed uplifting news for me. What with knowing by Al Franken’s swearing in that the United States government has hit rock bottom, and watching so many in our country (and the Western world) grieving for an epicine pervert...I needed some good news.
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