'I applaud Hank Brown ("Why I Fired Professor Churchill," Opinion, July 26) for his resolve to restore a semblance of honesty and integrity to an academic world riddled with self-inflated egos who behave as though the First Amendment and archaic tenure policies offer a cloaking device for culpable behavior.

Although I occupy a very small corner of academia, the "self-sought controversy" of faculty members like Ward Churchill and, from my own alma mater, Sami Al-Arian causes a ripple effect across the professoriate. Clearly, the insular, elitist traditions that Mr. Brown challenges have created a breeding ground for such arrogant, antisocial behavior.

I can only hope the firing of Prof. Churchill serves as a wake-up call to accountability and decency to all of us entrusted with the noble responsibility of educating young minds.'

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