DENVER—Former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens denied making veiled threats to get a University of Colorado professor fired after the professor compared some Sept. 11 victims to Nazi Adolf Eichmann.
Owens testified Wednesday in a lawsuit filed by Ward Churchill, who was fired in 2007 on allegations of plagiarism and other research misconduct after his Sept. 11 comments caused a furor.
Churchill sued to get his job back.
Owens denied telling former CU president Betsy Hoffman he would “unleash my plan” if Churchill wasn’t fired over the essay.
Almost immediately after Churchill’s essay came to light in January 2005, Owens called on CU to fire Churchill because of his comparison of 911 victims to Eichmann.
Officials said they couldn’t fire him, citing Churchill’s First Amendment right to free speech.
An ensuing review of Churchill’s work led to allegations of plagiarism and other misconduct that led to his dismissal.
“I did not have the power to fire him. I have the same First Amendment rights as we all have,” Owens testified. “I had my view that he should be fired.”
Churchill attorney David Lane played a portion of a videotaped deposition in which Hoffman talked about a call from Owens.
“He said, ‘Fire Ward Churchill tomorrow,'” Hoffman said. “And I said, ‘You know I can’t do that,’ and he said, ‘Then I will unleash my plan,’ and it was very threatening. … It was a short but very threatening phone call.”
“I don’t recall it being in that tenor,” Owens said. “I assume I had a conversation with Dr. Hoffman around that period of time.”
Lane also showed a partial transcript of an appearance by Owens on “The O’Reilly Factor” in 2005. Owens said he believed Churchill should be fired over the essay, but added that not following the rules would make Churchill “a very wealthy professor.”
“I do have some budget authority,” Owens said then. “I have some bully pulpit authority and that’s why I said he should be fired from day one.”
Lane said: “That’s a veiled threat to CU.”
Owens answered: “I wouldn’t suggest it’s a veiled threat, just stating it as a fact.”
During cross examination, Owens said he was communicating with the news media and not with the school. He also said he didn’t cut the budget.
“Their appropriation went up every year while I was governor,” he testified.
