Archived Record: Ward Churchill and Letters of Support from the CU Academic Community

This page preserves, as an archived historical record, material that appeared on coloradopeace.org in early 2005. It describes events and documents of that period only. It does not indicate any present availability, ownership, sponsorship, or continuing activity.

What the archived page contained

The archived page was titled “Ward Churchill – Letters of support from the CU academic community.” It listed names associated with letters of support, including AnnJanette Rosga, Ken Bonetti, William Rocque, Kyoko Saegusa, Todd M. Stafford, Nicole Barnes, Peter Michelson, Lillian Valenzuela, Tom Mayer, David Anderson, Karen Leota Campbell, Jose L. Jimenez, Timothy B. Weston, and Nicole Spencer. It also referenced the CU Faculty Council, the UCB Department of Philosophy faculty, and the Boulder Faculty Assembly.

The page carried a Ward Churchill press release dated January 31, 2005, and pointed to “other voices,” naming Richard Myers, RMPJC, and LCJD. It cited a Boulder Daily Camera editorial of February 6, 2005, under the heading “freedom on trial.” The page footer read “Updated 2-7-2005.”

The LeCompte letter

The archived page reproduced a letter from Margaret D. LeCompte, Professor of Education at the University of Colorado at Boulder, addressed to Chancellor DiStefano, the University of Colorado Regents, and President Hoffman. In it, LeCompte asked that officials not act on demands that something be “done” about Churchill over his publicized essays concerning the September 11, 2001, attacks.

She stated that she had read the original essay as well as later versions and media abbreviations. She described its name-calling as inappropriate and cruel, while calling the essay’s underlying message valid. In her account, that message was that the United States should examine its conduct abroad seriously and should not be surprised when harm done elsewhere produces bad consequences at home. She argued that the country had too long wrapped itself in a mantle of righteousness bordering on arrogance and ignorance, and that silencing critics of its misdeeds does not encourage reflection on how to address the root causes of world problems. She added that focusing on what Churchill said or wrote missed the point.

The archived page directed readers to the whole letter and to an RMPJC statement supporting Churchill’s standing as a tenured faculty member at CU.

How to read this record

This is a description of a 2005 web page and the documents it cited. The names, titles, and affiliations are reported as they appeared in the source. Nothing here should be read as a current statement by any person or institution named, nor as evidence of present endorsement, affiliation, or availability of any linked material.