CU committee recommends Churchill firing

The University of Colorado's Committee on Research Misconduct has recommended that Ward Churchill be thrown on the ash heap of history.

Six committee members recommended firing, two recommended a two-year suspension, and one recommended a five-year suspension. According to the RMN:

The recommendation from the Standing Committee on Research Misconduct will now be sent to interim provost Susan Avery and Todd Gleeson, dean of the college of arts and sciences.

Avery and Gleeson then will make separate recommendations to interim Chancellor Phil DiStefano, who will have the final say on whether Churchill should be fired.

An exact timeline for that decision has not been determined, but could come within weeks

Well, well, well.

Update: A response from Churchill in the Denver Post:

"Baloney. That's my one-word-response," he said. "The basic situation here is there was a call . . . for my termination clear back last February, whether or not it was legal. They're willing to take the heat and go to court if necessary and stand behind an illegitimate investigation."

Shockingly, I think Churchill's right, if only about the school's willingness to (finally) bite the bullet and give him the old heave-ho. After, of course, the lawsuit.

Update II: Funny line in the Post story: "Since [the "little Eichmanns" essay, Churchill's] case has been cited by conservatives as an example of how universities have overstocked their faculties with leftists."

Update III: This was via Hugh Hewitt, by the way. I vaguely heard him say something about it being a bad week for somebody (I didn't hear who, but I can guess) what with the Rove non-indictment, Bush in Iraq, and now (Hewitt said) "the University of Colorado." The Drunkablog went "uh-oh," and sprang into inaction.

Update IV: Here's the committee's report (pdf via the RMN).