U. of Colorado Seeks $10,000 in Legal Costs From Ward Churchill

A day after a state judge vacated a jury verdict holding that University of Colorado officials had violated Ward Churchill’s First Amendment rights by firing him, the university announced that it would bill the former ethnic-studies professor more than $10,000 in out-of-pocket costs it incurred while defending against his wrongful-termination suit, The Denver Post reported.

The university cannot seek reimbursement for all of its legal costs, but as a successful defendant in a civil lawsuit, it is entitled to file for such expenses as the cost of deposition transcripts, out-of-state travel, and witness fees, said Patrick T. O’Rourke, a lawyer for the university. Those costs will come to at least $10,000, he said.