DENVER — Former University of Colorado professor and controversial activist Ward Churchill has died. He was 78.
David Lane, Churchill’s former attorney, confirmed to Denver7 that the former professor died of a stroke on Tuesday.
Churchill came under intense scrutiny after a 2001 essay resurfaced in 2005 in which he referred to some 9/11 victims as “little Eichmanns.
The remarks sparked widespread backlash, renewed debate over free speech protections, and thrust CU Boulder into the national spotlight.
Although he was not fired from CU for his comments, the university did let him go in 2007 following findings of research misconduct, including allegations of plagiarism and the fabrication and falsification of evidence in his scholarship on Native American issues.
In a statement, Lane described Churchill as a passionate advocate for oppressed communities.
“Ward Churchill was a warrior seeking justice for oppressed people throughout the world. He was a brilliant scholar whose writings mainly focused on the injustices visited upon the Native American community by the government of the United States. He viewed the world through the eyes of the downtrodden. He was tireless, fearless, and he stood up to the University of Colorado Regents and won his month-long jury trial when a jury of his peers determined that they had violated his right to free speech under the First Amendment to our Constitution. He continued to fight for freedom for all with his scholarship and activism. He was my client and my friend and will be missed by those who knew and loved him,” Lane said.