William C. Bradford
William C. Bradford is a professor of law, specializing in international law, federal Indian law, property, national security/foreign relations law, and the laws of armed conflict.
Vita
Bradford graduated summa cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law, where he served as project editor of the University of Miami Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif. He is Chiricahua Apache Indian.
Teaching at Indiana University
Bradford joined the faculty of Indiana University School of Law Indianapolis in the fall of 2002 after serving in the Army Reserve. He also served at the War Gaming and Simulation Center, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Virginia, and was an advisor to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Shalikashvili.
Bradford has authored numerous law review articles on international law, the laws of war, and federal Indian law. One of his more recent articles was published in the Notre Dame Law Review, titled, "The Duty to Defend Them: A Natural Legal Justification of the Bush Doctrine of Preventative War." He is also a frequent commentator in local and national media on laws of war issues regarding Iraq and the War on Terror. He was named a Dean's Fellow in recognition of scholarly excellence in both 2004-2005 and 2005-2006.
Before resigning from Indiana University (see below), he was one of fewer than fifteen tenured or tenure-track academic legal faculty members of American Indian origin in the U.S.
Tenure Controversy
In 2005 Bradford accused Professor Florence Roisman of opposing his tenure because of some of his conservative views. The official reason given was that Prof. Bradford was "uncollegial." The feud became a national one when Fox News and Front Page magazine, among others, continually reported on the controversy. Bradford claimed that his support of the Iraq War and his refusal to sign a letter in defense of Ward Churchill were contributing factors. "The presumption was that I've got to sign this thing because I'm an Indian, but I can't do that," he said. [1] Roisman has denied most of Bradford's claims [2] [3] and school administrators pointed out that Bradford never actually applied for tenure. Instead there was simply a straw poll to determine his possible future tenure: the vote was 10-5 in favor, which meant that five professors believed that Mr. Bradford had a low probability of receiving tenure. He did not get the unanimous votes his tenured colleagues typically received.
Falsified Record
In defending his position, Bradford claimed he served in the infantry and military intelligence during Desert Storm and Bosnia conflicts, that he eventually became a major in Special Forces, and was awarded the prestigious Silver Star. He frequently wore a Silver Star lapel pin around campus and had a major's gold-leaf insignia plate on his vehicle. But Bradford's service record from the Army shows he was actually in the Army Reserve and that he was discharged as a second lieutenant. He had no active duty, was not in the infantry, and received no awards. [4]
Bradford's credibility was further undermined when he began assuming names and posting comments in support of himself on a law school weblog operated by students. [5]
Resignation
On December 2, 2005, Susanah Mead, interim dean of the law school, released the following statement: "Professor William Bradford has resigned his position as associate professor at the IU School of Law – Indianapolis effective January 1, 2006 to pursue other employment opportunities and interests."
Future after Indiana
In the fall of 2005 Bradford served as a visiting professor at the College of William and Mary and, the following spring, at Victoria University in New Zealand.
External Links
- Truth comes out about professor's background, Indianapolis Star, December 4, 2005.
- Not the Right Kind of Indian, Inside Higher Ed, June 28, 2005.
- Indian Hunt In Indiana, FrontPageMagazine.com, August 10, 2005
- Double Standards at Indiana Law: William Bradford and Robin Kundis Craig, FrontPageMagazine.com, August 12, 2005