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| Fifth Column |
| Ward Churchill Update |
| 2005-06-17 |
| The University of Colorado has expanded its inquiry into alleged research misconduct by professor Ward Churchill in the wake of a recent series of stories in the Rocky Mountain News. CU-Boulder Interim Chancellor Phil DiStefano asked for the inquiry's expansion to "consider additional allegations" reported by the News, the university said Wednesday in a prepared statement. DiStefano told the committee in a letter dated Monday that he "wished to supplement his original March 29 referral by asking the panel to include the new allegations in its inquiry and to determine whether they warrant investigation," the statement read. "Chancellor DiStefano noted that he had not investigated the new charges concerning copyright law, fabrication and plagiarism, among others, and could therefore offer no opinion on their validity." Churchill responded to the News with a one-word e-mail: "Yawn." The research misconduct committee put Churchill on notice April 22 that it had launched a 60-day inquiry into his scholarship as well as allegations that he had misrepresented himself as American Indian to give his writings added weight. The probe could produce outcomes ranging from exoneration to termination from his tenured post as an ethnic studies professor. David Lane, Churchill's attorney, criticized CU's method of communicating the latest news. "In keeping with longstanding CU policy, the announcement is made through the media, not with any direct communication with me or Ward Churchill," he said. The "preliminary inquiry phase" of the case is now expected to be extended by up to 60 days to accommodate DiStefano's supplementary referral, the university's release said. The recent series in the News focused on the four main areas of possible misconduct that DiStefano in March asked the committee to review, including allegations that Churchill: ⢠Accused the U.S. Army of deliberately spreading smallpox among the Mandan Indians of the Upper Missouri River Valley in 1837 without a factual basis for the assertion, and in some cases apparently contradicted the books and authors he cited. ⢠Published an essay in 1992 that largely copied the work of Canadian professor Fay G. Cohen after she had withdrawn permission for him to use it. The committee is also considering parts of an essay in a 1993 book that closely resemble a piece that appeared the year before under the name of Rebecca L. Robbins. ⢠Mischaracterized an important federal Indian law in repeated writings in the past two decades, claiming that the General Allotment Act of 1887 established a "blood quantum" standard that allowed tribes to admit members only if they had at least half native blood. The committee is looking at allegations that he also mischaracterized the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990. ⢠Claimed American Indian ancestry to make his scholarship more widely accepted. Churchill defended his work to the News, saying that he had not plagiarized and that in some instances, is accused of taking work that he originally wrote. He said he was correct about the Mandan Indians, and that his characterizations of the intent of the two laws are accurate. Churchill also has said that he qualifies as an Indian under three of four criteria. In the course of its investigation, the News uncovered additional evidence of possible research misconduct by Churchill. In one instance, the News discovered a little-known 1972 pamphlet, The Water Plot, written by activists concerning an aborted water-diversion scheme in Canada, that Churchill later began claiming as his own work. And in least three other cases, the News revealed that Churchill published works by others without their permission. Churchill credited authors Robert T. Coulter, Rudolph C. Ryser and Elizabeth Cook-Lynn, but they say he failed to notify them that he was publishing their articles. Experts described those instances as potential copyright violations. Churchill refused to respond to those News stories. CU spokeswoman Pauline Hale said last week that rules precluded the research committee from adding new allegations. On Wednesday, she said, "The rules, while they are fairly explicit, do allow for some flexibility in interpretation, in order for the university to carry out its obligations." KHOW 630-AM radio talk show host Dan Caplis, a CU graduate, filed a formal complaint with CU on Friday concerning The Water Plot allegation. Lane drew a connection Wednesday between Caplis' complaint and the DiStefano announcement. "Dan Caplis, who is a media personality, apparently motivated Di-Stefano, who lives in fear of the media, to respond to a media-inspired series of articles as punishment for Ward Churchill exercising his First Amendment rights." Churchill stirred national controversy early this year when it was discovered that he had written an essay on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that likened some World Trade Center victims to Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, suggesting that they deserved their fate. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #6 Ward's 15 minutes were up about 10 minutes ago... |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-06-17 20:25 |
| #5 This waste of skin is still stealing oxygen? Disappointing. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-06-17 17:16 |
| #4 âDan Caplis, who is a media personality . . .â Churchillâs mouthpiece is a bit too dismissive. Mr. Caplis (who does host a talk radio show here in Denver, Colorado) also is a darn good, plaintiffâs trial attorney, and staunch conservative (thatâs right, âtrial lawyerâ and conservative ;) ). My guess (and hope) is that the state will fight Churchill to the death to keep from paying him a dime. It is sad the LLL will increasingly fawn over this goofball, the more heâs discredited, but hopefully supporting Churchill will drain at least some of their resources away from their PAC favorites. |
| Posted by: cingold 2005-06-17 16:58 |
| #3 Too late to punish this AH, he's in a win/win situation. I'd be paying off paparzi for photos and JibJab for funny stuff. Laughing stock is the only thing gonna work. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-06-17 14:31 |
| #2 Evergreen State, Ward. Update/"embellish" that resume. Go west, white eyes. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-06-17 13:40 |
| #1 I hope someone will tell us when he is canned and winds up at some jerkwater community college as an Ethics teacher. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2005-06-17 13:16 |