May 10, 2007: 11 Professors File Research Misconduct Charges Against the CU Investigating Committee

May 13, 2007 on 7:43 pm | In Analysis

To: Hank Brown, President of the University of Colorado
The Regents of the University of Colorado
Bud Peterson, Chancellor of University of Colorado, Boulder
Phillip DiStefano, Provost of the University of Colorado, Boulder
Susan Avery, Vice-Provost of the University of Colorado, Boulder
The Standing Committee on Research Misconduct
Members of the Investigative Committee in the Churchill Case Case

On April 23, 2007 the undersigned professors called on the University of Colorado at Boulder to rescind the “Report of the Investigative Committee concerning Allegations of Academic Misconduct against Professor Ward Churchill” [henceforth Report] because it contained so many egregious errors. On May 7, 2007, the University officially declined our call to retract the report. Since the university has declined to act in good faith, we are now compelled to file these charges.

For the dual purposes of defending academic freedom and securing justice for Professor Churchill, we now bring charges of research misconduct against the authors of the Report: Marianne Wesson, Professor of Law at the University of Colorado [chair of Investigative Committee]; Marjorie McIntosh, Professor of History at the University of Colorado; Michael Radelet, Professor of Sociology at the University of Colorado; Robert Clinton, Professor of Law at Arizona State University; and José Limón, Professor of American and English Literature at the University of Texas.

We further ask that any person with a known bias against Professor Churchill recuse themselves from consideration of his case. We note that the decision not to retract the Report came from the new Vice President for Academic Affairs, Michael Poliakoff, whose office has a conflict of interest in this case because of his involvement with the American Council of College Trustees and Alumni (ACTA). Since ACTA has a long and well-documented history of animosity toward Ward Churchill, no-one with ACTA affiliations, including a co-founder like President Hank Brown and a named proponent like Poliakoff, is in any position to make an unbiased decision in this case.

. . . . click here to read the full letter & supporting documentation.