One nice thing about state budget troubles -- it encourages early retirement packages. I'm not old enough for this package yet, though, so SCSU will still have to put up with me. On the other hand, bummer on the timing of this:

In a resounding defeat for ousted University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill, a judge ruled Tuesday not only against his request for reinstatement at CU but that he deserves no financial compensation for having been fired from the school nearly two years ago.

The ruling from Chief Denver District Judge Larry Naves was in seemingly stunning contrast to a jury�s verdict from the civil trial Churchill brought against the school earlier this year.

At the conclusion of the 3�-week-long trial in April, six jurors decided that CU had unlawfully stripped Churchill of his job for expressing his political beliefs in a controversial essay about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, in which he compared victims in the World Trade Center to a Nazi architect of the Holocaust.

Naves threw out the jury�s determination that the school unlawfully retaliated against Churchill for expressing his First Amendment rights �as a matter of law,� stating in his 42-page ruling that the CU regents have absolute immunity from lawsuits in their roles as �administrative officials performing functions analogous to those of judges and prosecutors.�

In short, he's through at CU, gets no money, has his jury ruling overturned. But chances are we haven't heard the last from ol' Ward. �Ward Churchill is a tough guy, and he�s used to adversity,� says his lawyer. He should try getting used to finding a job. Preferably out of academia.

He should have stuck around and waited for early retirement.

UPDATE: According to Pirate Ballerina, he may have to compensate legal costs to the university. Want to make sure we note Jim Paine's vigilance at PB for all your Churchill news.

Labels: higher education