The Cavalier daily :: Tuesday, March 24, 1970 :: University of Virginia Library

Lawrence Cranberg, a professor of physics at the University, filed suit Friday
against the University for breach of contract and violation of his constitutional rights.

In the charges, Mr. Cranberg stated that he was removed from his positions as
director and principal investigator on federal grants for nuclear physics at the
University's nuclear accelerator without a hearing affording him due process of law.

In four other counts stemming from his dismissal, Mr. Cranberg stated that his
freedom of speech and academic freedom were also violated, that the dismissal actions
constituted breach of contract, did injury
to his professional reputation in the
academic community, and caused him
severe mental anguish and distress.

Among the defendants named in the
suit were President Edgar F. Shannon, Jr.,
University Provost Frank L. Hereford, Jr.,
the entire Board of Visitors and the
rector of the University. The rector was
not identified by name in the suit.

Mr. Cranberg, who is seeking
$350,000 in damages and reappointment
to his former posts, was removed from his
two former positions in March, 1968,
effective September 1 of that same year.
Mr. Cranberg had held those posts since
August, 1963.

'Primary Responsibility'

In a story in Friday's The Daily
Progress, Mr. Cranberg claimed that he
came to the University from "Los Alamos after
negotiations with the University 'to assume a
position of primary responsibility for a program
of nuclear research.' "

The suit claimed that it was an "indispensable
condition for Mr. Cranberg's acceptance
of the appointment at the University
that he have primary responsibility for the
program of nuclear research to be conducted at
the Physics Accelerator Laboratory."

Mr. Cranberg noted that in March, 1968, he
was contacted by Mr. Hereford and told that he
"would no longer be approved by the
University as principal investigator in new
proposals for support grants for the operation
of the accelerator."

In a telephone conversation with The
Cavalier Daily, Mr. Cranberg stated that Mr.
Hereford had told him that due to "reorganization,"
Mr. Cranberg would no longer be
the director of the accelerator.

Mr. Cranberg stated that Mr. Hereford told
him that he had been removed from his post
because "he dissented too often from the views
of his colleagues." Mr. Cranberg added that he
was told that his removal was "not related to
his scholarly or administrative performance."

Mr. Cranberg, who is a local chairman of the
American Civil Liberties Union and was the
chairman for the Eugene McCarthy campaign
for the Seventh District of Virginia, did not
know if his dismissal was for political reasons.

In his suit, Mr. Cranberg stated that Mr.
Hereford had told him that he was dismissed
for "lack of rapport with his colleagues."

In explaining the question of academic

Lawrence Cranberg

freedom, Mr. Cranberg stated in his suit, that he
was appointed "to fill a position which required
him to perform and lead research designed to
discover scientific truth, all of which required
expression of his independent academic judgment."

In his suit, he alleged that he was removed
from his position "because he did in fact
express his judgment on matters pertaining to
his profession."

The suit claims that Mr. Cranberg never was
presented with the evidence of witnesses that
produced the basis for his removal and that he
"had never been granted an adequate or
appropriate" hearing.

Dismissal Investigation

Following Mr. Cranberg's dismissal, the
Committee on Contractual Relations of the
Assembly of Professors was convened to
investigate his dismissal.

The Assembly of Professors is not a regular
body of the University and was convened on
the suggestion of the American Association of
University Professors.

The committee, which was composed of 10
professors at the University, stated that a
majority of the members felt that no breach of
contract had taken place although an unspecified
minority had felt that Mr. Cranberg's
dismissal did constitute a breach of contract.

According to Mr. Cranberg, the committee
unanimously found, however, that "his academic
freedom had been unjustifiably violated"
by his dismissal. The committee also felt that
"termination of appointments is improper

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