Board meeting on Churchill's future

BOULDER – The University of Colorado's Board of Regents continued to meet into Tuesday evening as they prepared to vote on Ward Churchill's future at the school.

The meeting began at 8 a.m. on the Boulder campus, where the regents announced that the private executive session would begin before going into the closed door hearing on the matter. No earlier than 4 p.m. the regents are expected to reconvene in a public session to vote on whether Churchill will keep his job. The regents had still not announced their decision as of 5:30 p.m.

David Lane, Churchill's attorney, told 9NEWS he thought the delay may be because there was not a unanimous decision.

Churchill, wearing his signature dark glasses with jeans and a black blazer, arrived shortly before the meeting. He was surrounded by members of the media as he walked into the University Memorial Center and hoisted himself onto a side counter. As he began cracking jokes his supporters could be seen wearing T-shirts which read "It's not about scholarship it's about politics."

Not everyone around him was a supporter however as one man, a self described blogger, began a heated exchange with Churchill which eventually forced campus security to monitor the situation.

Churchill and Lane went before the regents in the closed door session just after 10:30 a.m.

They took with them a lengthy submission which outlines their stance on the charges against him. (Click here to view the complete submission)

In the submission they highlight what they consider to be Churchill's exemplary service record to the university. They also say the investigative committee was biased and unfair and that this effort to investigate him is because of political and financial pressure to fire Churchill.

Lane told 9NEWS he expects the regents to terminate his client at the end of the meeting and expressed his opposition with the "secrecy" surrounding the meeting saying it is a "scripted performance" and that it should have been open to the public.

Churchill followed Lane's comments reiterating the wish for the process to be public saying, "I have not so much agreed, but demanded that the process be open for public review today. The regents refused, citing rules that have been violated by the university in every step along the way."

"It was pre-ordained two and a half years ago. Everything's been an orchestration to make that seem to be a justifiable outcome," said Churchill in an interview with 9NEWS.

"This is solely a political maneuver and Ward Churchill's termination is based solely on his free speech," said Lane.

9NEWS Legal Analyst Scott Robinson disagrees with Churchill and his attorney, saying the Board of Regents does have a right to keep this executive session closed.

"Churchill and his attorney are convinced he's going to be terminated and for good reason, because he has been found guilty of academic misconduct and, regardless of his political expression, that's what's going to lead to the downfall of Ward Churchill, if anything does."

Robinson also says if the Board of Regents votes to terminate Churchill, that Churchill and his attorney will fill a lawsuit against the university.

Lane told 9NEWS Monday, "The real drama begins Wednesday when we file our case in court against the regents of the University of Colorado for violating Ward Churchill's First Amendment rights."

Lane says he will file the lawsuit in Denver District Court so the case can be heard by a state jury.

Churchill touched off a firestorm in 2005 after an essay surfaced which he wrote shortly after 9/11 likening some victims in the World Trade Center to Adolf Eichmann, who helped carry out the Holocaust.

University officials concluded he could not be fired for his comments because they were protected by the First Amendment, but they launched an investigation into allegations that he fabricated or falsified his research and plagiarized the work of others.

In 2006, a university committee found Churchill guilty of academic misconduct, including plagiarism and a faculty panel recommended he be demoted and suspended for a year without pay. In May, CU President Hank Brown recommended Churchill be fired.

9NEWS.com will have more on this story throughout the day Tuesday. Tune in to 9NEWS at 4, 5 and 6 for additional updates.