"Make no mistake. Disgraced University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill deserved to be fired. To be rather blunt, and as has been well documented over the last several years, he just wasn't that good at his job. But as fate would have it--and as a Denver jury concluded--he was fired for the wrong reasons. While the media provided a brief mention of an appellate court's denial of his plea to get his job back, too many reporters failed to tell the more important part of this story: the decision may hurt future public employees seeking redress and accountability over legitimate job losses and discrimination.

Regardless of one's view of Churchill, you've got to give him kudos. The man can stay on message.

He has never once strayed from his commitment to fighting against the Man (while also curiously disclaiming himself as one). Now, unless the Colorado Supreme Court takes up his cause, the blue suits in the boardroom may get the last laugh.

Fortunately, not all reporters were asleep at the wheel. As Law Week reported this month, the Colorado Court of Appeals' decision to deny Churchill's reinstatement as a CU professor could significantly impact the way courts treat public employment cases in this state.

As University of Denver law professor Alan Chen told Law Week, the development could create a vehicle for public employers, including universities, to gain greater immunity from their actions."

Get the Story:
Jessica Corry: The Poetic Injustice of Ward Churchill (The Huffington Post 12/15)