Ward Churchill Wins; Judge Nullifies Verdict

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Churchill WINS?!
Did I read the same article?

And Naves went out of his way to stress that he found the university's findings of misconduct credible, and that the return of Churchill to the faculty would be damaging.

Not surprisingly, the university praised the decision and Churchill denounced it. Phil DiStefano, chancellor at the university's Boulder campus, said in a statement: "The judge's decision today is a victory for faculty governance. It reinforces the idea that faculty set the standard for academic integrity on our campus and all campuses across the country. His decision reinforces the notion that faculty establish research standards, abide by them and enforce them."

In an interview Tuesday evening, David Lane, Churchill's lawyer said that he would "absolutely, positively appeal." The decision, Lane said, "sends out to America a very, very bad message that if the University of Colorado fires you because they don't like what you said, don't look for justice from this court."

Lane said that an appeals court decision would probably be around a year away -- extending the life of a controversy that started in 2005.

Ward Churchill started teaching at Boulder in 1978 and won tenure in 1991. The author of numerous books and essays about Native American history, Churchill uses fiery rhetoric to describe the wrongs committed by the United States. In the years prior to 2005, Churchill became a popular figure on the campus lecture circuit -- although he tended to attract attention from those who shared his views, and he was not widely known outside academe.

Doesn't sound much of a victory to me...