A committee investigating seven allegations of research misconduct against University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill will privately hand over its findings today to CU’s Standing Committee on Research Misconduct, said CU spokesman Barrie Hartman.
The report is expected to be released to the public on May 16. The allegations include alleged instances of plagiarism, misuse of others’ work and falsification of authority.
In the next week, the standing committee will read the investigative committee report, Hartman said. Churchill will receive the report in about a week and will have a chance to respond – a process that could take two weeks or more. Once the standing committee receives Churchill’s response, the panel will make recommendations for action or inaction – a decision that could be announced early the week of June 5. The chancellor will publicly announce a decision on Churchill’s fate about June 8, also a tentative date, Hartman said.
The investigative committee had 120 days to pore over Churchill’s writings and interview those who have accused him of plagiarism, ghostwriting and misrepresentation of Indian law.
The investigation began because of controversy over Churchill’s essay comparing some Sept. 11 World Trade Center victims to a Nazi official. CU determined free-speech rights prevented him from being punished because of the essay, but it asked the committee to investigate other writings.
