The University of Colorado committee charged with investigating the seven serious charges of academic fraud against Ward Churchill has returend its verdict: guilty on every count. "Four of the five members of the investigative panel said ethnic studies professor Ward Churchill should be suspended without pay, though one said he should be fired."
This white man who found the burden of his whiteness so great in the PC era he had to become a fake Indian decided that once you've faked your identity you might as well fake your academic research too. "A [Rocky Mountain] News investigation in June found that while Churchill has maintained for decades that he is part Cherokee and Creek, there is no evidence of any Indian ancestry in his family tree." This America-hater who famously called the terrorist victims "little Eichmanns" who deserved their horrific deaths has been pulling down nearly $100k from the taxpayers of Colorado—without even having the benefit of a doctorate. Nice work if you can get it, but it looks like he won't be getting it much longer. His wife is already resigning, and even the Democrats are now calling for his blood. "Research misconduct is considered one of the most serious offenses a faculty member can commit. And the investigative committee concluded that Churchill had consistently committed it."
It's hard to get a scam this good going most of the time, so don't expect him to roll over gently any time soon. My prediction: a golden parachute of several million courtesy of the taxpayers of Colorado. Don't let the door hit you on the way out Wardie.
Update: I don't want to exaggerate the facts here. They're damning enough on their own. Reader Rich says that he was found guilty of only six of the charges. But my source here seems to indicate that he's guilty on all seven, at least to some degree.
7 comments:
It's hard to get a scam this good going most of the time,
"Teach a man to fish, and he will go hungry when the fish don't bite. Teach a man a good scam and the suckers will bite forever."
-- Michael Swanwick
I remember when this whole thing started that there were academics calling the man a fraud.
"One entire professor said that."
Now, Skook, the Gramscian worms got into the academic apple one at a time in the beginning.
It's a start. Sami al Arian? is dtr too.
If only I could feel better about the hiring of his replacement.
I understand there was another photo showing him with cigarette in hand and of course they agonized over that one, too.
I suppose that when carried to the ultimate, he would end up a neutered quadraplegic. Oh well.
The suggested suspensions were for 2-3 years. I suppose that would be enough to make most look for work elsewhere, but it sure is a copout. Scholars should have a bit more pride in their profession. Really, there is no reason whatsoever to have Churchill on the faculty: fake indian, fake scholar. No reason at all.
Only one professor volunteered for the firing squad? Kind of defeats the whole idea. And suspended without pay would mean what? That he has to take a little time-out, but can still pull in the speakers' gigs as the famous professor of the U of C?
It's weird feeling torn between anger and an inability to keep a straight face.
That takes real nerve.
What's the academic analog of the silver star? I'm beginning to think he really does deserve it. From the academic point of view. Maybe the whole darn thing is a scam.
Maybe the whole darn thing is a scam.
- a little harsh; i'd say only about three-quarters of the humanities and social sciences are an intellectual scam. Of course, if you haven't yet come to believe you're being scammeed, is it really a scam? After all, "whatever gets you through the night" is one of the two (along with the occasional need for more fundamental truths) essential purposes of culture.
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