EWU cancels lecture, citing security

CHENEY – Eastern Washington University canceled the speaking engagement of a controversial Colorado professor on Friday, citing concerns about public safety.

Eastern President Stephen Jordan declined to say whether specific threats had been made surrounding the planned April 5 speech by Ward Churchill, a professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder. In an essay written three years ago, Churchill compared some of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with a Nazi leader.

“Clearly, my intention is not to try to prohibit his speech or his thoughts,” Jordan told the university’s board of trustees Friday morning. But, he said, “At some point, I have a responsibility to the broader community and their safety.”

In response to a second controversial campus speaker, Jordan stood behind Eastern’s decision to bring in porn star Ron Jeremy to talk during Violence Against Women week. Jordan said a panel discussion has been added to the Feb. 16 agenda to bring balance to the program.

“Our willingness to stand by Mr. Jeremy’s appearance, which has also generated controversy, is a testament to our commitment to free speech,” Jordan said in a statement to the board. “Mr. Churchill’s appearance, and the maelstrom that now accompanies him, is another matter altogether.”

Churchill gained national attention this week because of a 2001 essay that surfaced recently, comparing U.S. policy in Iraq with Nazi Germany. Earlier this week, a tiny college in upstate New York canceled Churchill’s talk after a caller threatened to bring a gun to campus, according to media reports.

Scott Wheat, an attorney and adjunct professor in Eastern’s American Indian Studies Program, said the cancellation sets a disturbing precedent.

“I’m concerned about the message we may be sending to Eastern students, and that is: Death threats can be used to stifle legitimate political discourse at an academic institution,” Wheat said.

In an essay circulated on the Internet, Churchill called the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks “little Eichmanns inhabiting the sterile sanctuary of the twin towers.” Churchill was referring to Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Nazis’ plan to exterminate the Jews.

Efforts to contact Churchill through the University of Colorado’s ethnic studies department were unsuccessful. Churchill resigned as the department’s chair on Monday, and the university has ordered a 30-day review of the professor’s writings and speeches to determine if he should continue teaching.

In a press release on the department’s Web site, Churchill criticized the media for its “grossly inaccurate” coverage of his writings. He argued the terrorist attacks were a consequence of the U.S. government’s violations of international law, which he said resulted in the deaths of millions of innocent people in Iraq, Indochina and Central America.

“If we respond with callous disregard to the deaths of others, we can only expect equal callousness to American deaths,” Churchill wrote.

Eastern scheduled Churchill’s speech last spring before university officials were aware of the essay. Deirdre Almeida, director of the American Indian Studies Program, said Churchill planned to speak about Native American issues, not the terrorist attacks in New York.

Almeida said she often assigned Churchill’s writings to her classes, even though she did not always agree with his views. The university secured Churchill’s appearance through Speak Out, a California-based booking agency that describes Churchill as one of the most outspoken Native American activists and scholars in the country.

“He does get in your face, but it is eye-opening,” Almeida told the trustees. “He has influenced the way they look at native people and the way they look at themselves.”

Jordan said the university is not obliged to provide a venue for Churchill if his presence threatens the security of the campus. While he would not comment on specific threats, Jordan said he spoke with Hamilton College in New York, which has been deluged with phone calls and e-mails. The college received more than 6,000 e-mail messages after a Fox News commentator provided the e-mail address of the college’s dean and the school’s phone number, according to media reports.

This week, an e-mail that circulated among Eastern Washington University faculty warned that alumni and the public might cancel or withhold donations if Churchill spoke. The message included e-mails to Hamilton College, and spoke of the college receiving “hundreds of them, nearly all of which began with some variation of ‘You’ve seen the last dime from me.’ “

Jordan said he did not weigh financial concerns before making his decision to cancel the speech.

Almeida said she received a handful of e-mails regarding Churchill’s scheduled appearance in Cheney, which has not been widely reported in local media. Almeida said she does not believe any of the e-mails constituted a threat.

Amelia Moses, a 21-year-old anthropology student, said she has not seen evidence that Churchill’s speech presented a threat to the university.

“This is not New York,” Moses said. “Very few people outside of Native American academia and activism even know who Ward Churchill is.”

The school’s student-entertainment fund will pay Jeremy $6,500 to talk about obscenity law. Eastern’s American Indian Studies Program had agreed to pay Churchill $3,000.