Last week, over 40 UW-Madison affiliated employees have signed an online petition to â??Support Bill Ayersâ? and his academic achievements.
Bill Ayers, a 20-year professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has come under fire for his involvement with the terrorist organization, the Weather Underground. The Obama campaign has taken steps to distance themselves from Ayers and his alleged acts of terrorism during the Vietnam War.
The petition calls for all citizens, in particular scholars and teachers, to support Ayers for his exemplary scholarship, teaching and service. As of Oct. 28, the petition has received 4,090 signatures online, a majority of which affiliate with a university or college. Over 40 names on the petition listed an alignment to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.