Story perspectives

Appeals Uphold $1 Million First Amendment Award for Churchill

8/13/2026

Summary

Story summary

Ward L. Churchill, University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) professor, died at 78 in Atlanta of a stroke.
A 2007 panel dismissed him, citing plagiarism and falsified Native American research, which he said retaliated against his 2001 essay calling some 9/11 victims “little Eichmanns.”
A 2009 Denver jury awarded him $1 million for a First Amendment violation, with appellate courts upholding the verdict and the U.S. Supreme Court declining review.

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Story summary

Ward L. Churchill, University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) professor, died at 78 in Atlanta of a stroke.
A 2007 panel dismissed him, citing plagiarism and falsified Native American research, which he said retaliated against his 2001 essay calling some 9/11 victims “little Eichmanns.”
A 2009 Denver jury awarded him $1 million for a First Amendment violation, with appellate courts upholding the verdict and the U.S. Supreme Court declining review.