Belmont Club has two posts on the Ward Churchill/Academic Freedom issue (Part I and Part II) that are really worth reading. I weighed in a few days back here, if you're interested.
I have to admit that I was probably wrong. Apparently the courts have decided that academic freedom can include personal speech when one works for a state or federal institution--which Churchill does. Sigh... it would have been so therapeutic if the university regents could have fired him. Unfortunately, it seems as if they are stuck with this moron for life (his or theirs). A clear case of Academic Stupidity. They should have been more careful who they gave tenure to, so they and we must live with the consequences of that. Parents, think very carefully before you send your children to that particular university.
On the other hand, apparently "academic freedom" does not apply to student free speech, as this article (and many other cases I cited previously) indicates. When it comes to students, you are only free to speak when your views are considered politically correct.
Maybe it is not so amazing that someone like Ward Churchill was able to gain tenure after all. He certainly didn't get it for his academic credentials.
And now I promise never to speak of him again--he's already getting far too much attention for such a jerk, and it will only reinforce his malignant narcissism.
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