The ANNOTICO Report

University of Colorado President Elizabeth Hoffman announced her
resignation Monday amid pressure generated by an uproar over comments made
by Italian American Community Nemesis  Professor Ward Churchill, who is
also accused of comparing the Sept. 11 victims to a Nazi war criminal, that
came on the heels of a series of  campus scandals.

Paul Campos, a University of Colorado law professor said "I think
[Ward}Churchill may have been the tipping point."

There are people who MAKE things happen, and those whoWATCH things happen.
Elizabeth Hoffman is apparently the latter. Although she was aware of
systemic problems, in every case, whether inherited problems or generated
during her reign, she chose to DO NOTHING!!

First were reports alleging that the football program used alcohol, sex and
strippers to lure recruits, then a football "slush fund", then accusations
that an assistant football coach sexually assaulted two female trainers.
The university, with a reputation as one of the nation's top party schools,
then also gained notoriety following the deaths of several students from
alcohol poisoning. Then, after all this, a  paper surfaced by Ward L.
Churchill, an ethnic studies professor, likening those killed in the World
Trade Center to Holocaust mastermind Adolf Eichmann.

A month long investigation into Churchill's writings and background by the
university is expected  to wrap up this week . The professor's claim to be
a Native American, the veracity of his scholarship and how he got tenure so
quickly without a doctorate are being questioned. Hoffman's resignation
comes at a crucial time.

Gov. Bill Owens has demanded that Churchill be fired. The university may
announce its decision as early as today.  Churchill has vowed to sue the
university if he is fired. Some Churchill advocates are suggesting the
University buy out his contract for $10 million.

What a great country. Lie, Defraud, Violate other people's Civil Rights,
Defame innocent Victims,and become a Multi Millionaire. :(

Hoffman, who has been president for 5 years, since 2000, still refuses to
take ANY responsibility  saying, "I wouldn't go back and change any major
decision I made.", and instead lays her troubles at the feet of " a new
McCarthyism, where people with unpopular viewpoints were being targeted".

Hoffman, who refused calls to fire Churchill, also overlooks her own
hypocrisy, when she failed  to see the "new McCarthyism" of Churchill (The
"faux" Indian with the "fraud" Resume) who virulently defamed Italian
Americans as "Celebrators of Genocide" and deprived them of Rights of Free
Speech and Rights of Free Assembly during Columbus Day Parades (with City
Permits). All while those Italian Americans were merely recognizing a
FEDERAL Holiday!!!!!!

Furthermore, according to today's NY Times, Nearly 200 faculty members
signed a petition that was printed last month as a full-page newspaper
advertisement in The Boulder Daily Camera denouncing the Churchill
investigation as a "retaliatory, unwarranted investigation," that violated
"the moral principles enshrined into the university itself.", apparently
defending his right to free expression.

YET, there was NOT ONE peep out of these highly moraled professors, when
Churchill outrageously interfered with Italian Americans Right of Free
Speech and Assembly.

How does one spell H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E-S ???

I am elated that Churchill's defender was pressured sufficiently to resign,
but disappointed that Churchill's unpardonable actions against the Italian
American community was not included in the "laundry list" of "shame".
Goodbye Liz !!! Goodbye Ward ???

Los Angeles Times
By David Kelly
Times Staff Writer
March 8, 2005

DENVER — University of Colorado President Elizabeth Hoffman announced her
resignation Monday amid pressure generated by sex and recruiting scandals
in the Boulder campus' athletic department and an uproar over comments by a
professor who compared the Sept. 11 victims to a Nazi war criminal.

"A lot of these issues predate me, but at some point it doesn't matter,"
Hoffman said in an interview. "President Truman said the buck stops here,
and it does. The events swirling around the university and questions about
me have distracted us from dealing with other important issues."

Hoffman's leadership had come under increased scrutiny as problems at the
university system's Boulder campus grew.

First were reports alleging that the football program used alcohol, sex and
strippers to lure recruits. Then a paper surfaced by Ward L. Churchill, an
ethnic studies professor, likening those killed in the World Trade Center
to Holocaust mastermind Adolf Eichmann.

Last week, a leaked grand jury report said two female trainers had accused
an assistant football coach of sexually assaulting them. The report also
said thousands of dollars from head coach Gary Barnett's football camp were
in a slush fund stashed in 16 spots on campus.

Jerry Rutledge, chairman of the University of Colorado Board of Regents,
said Monday that Hoffman was not pushed out and had offered her
resignation. Her steady hand, he said, would be missed.

"However, it has become clear to many in the CU family that our university
… has suffered greatly from a series of controversies that seem to be
growing, not abating," Rutledge said at a news conference. "In my
discussions with President Hoffman in recent days, it was apparent to both
of us that her support had been waning for some time."

Regent Patricia Hayes said Hoffman's job had become nearly impossible.

"I think all the regents realized she was in a lose-lose situation," Hayes
said. "Everything was focusing on her in a negative way. She was generous
enough to resign."

The resignation, effective June 30 or when a replacement is found, comes at
a crucial time.

The university is expected this week to wrap up a month long investigation
into Churchill's writings and background. The professor's claim to be a
Native American, the veracity of his scholarship and how he got tenure so
quickly without a doctorate are being questioned.

Gov. Bill Owens has demanded that Churchill be fired. The university may
announce its decision as early as today.

"I think there is a mentality that someone's head has to roll for all of
these troubles," said David Lane, Churchill's lawyer. "Maybe this will
satisfy that bloodlust. Hoffman has been a strong promoter of academic
freedom, and has borne the brunt of all these things that happened at CU,
which she has no control over."

Churchill has vowed to sue the university if he is fired.

Throughout the fall, problems swirled around the university's football
program. Barnett — who said he would like to comment on the grand jury
report but was not allowed to discuss the investigation — was suspended
briefly for derogatory comments he made about female kicker Katie Hnida,
who said she was sexually assaulted while at the university. The school's
athletic director, Dick Tharp, resigned in November.

The university, with a reputation as one of the nation's top party schools,
also gained notoriety following the deaths of several students from alcohol
poisoning. All of the negative attention, regents said, has taken a toll.
Out-of-state applications are down 19%.

Critics said that Hoffman, 58, had failed to act boldly — for example,
ignoring calls to fire Barnett and others in the athletic department.

"It appears she acted on some really bad advice from her attorneys and the
regents," said Peggy Lamm, who co-chaired a panel that examined the
recruiting scandal. "When we offered our report, I thought it would prompt
them to take a hard look and do some serious housecleaning — and they
didn't."

Hoffman has balked at demands that Churchill be fired. In a speech
Thursday, she warned of "dangerous times" and a new McCarthyism, where
people with unpopular viewpoints were being targeted.

Some backers said Monday that Hoffman, president since September 2000, was
paying for the mistakes of others.

"From what I know of her performance, she did quite a fine job," said Paul
Campos, a University of Colorado law professor. "The football scandal and
Ward Churchill are things she inherited because of the poor decision-making
of her predecessors. I think Churchill may have been the tipping point."

As the criticism increased, Hoffman said Monday, it became harder for her
to advocate on behalf of the university.

"The most important issue facing us is the fiscal health of the
university," she said. "Ward Churchill has been a very large distraction in
the last month, at a time when I need to put together a budget for higher
education that will at least stop us from falling backward."

She rejected claims that she lacked decisiveness.

"I wouldn't go back and change any major decision I made. Making real,
systemic, cultural change is a whole lot harder than making personnel
decisions," she said. "What is bold is in the eye of the beholder."

Hoffman said she did not know what she would do next.

"One possibility is a national leadership role, to speak out for public
higher education," she said.

But the last few months have been hard.

"It's very difficult to be attacked personally," she said. "I have always
stood on principle. I have strong core values. I am the same person I have
always been."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/
nation/la-na-boulder8mar08,0,583349.
story?coll=la-home-nation

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