PHOENIX — A Phoenix councilman wants the city to nix a $268,000 contract with Arizona State University history professor Matthew Whitaker, who has been accused of plagiarism twice in four years.
KPNX-TV reports Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio is pushing to have the contract between Whitaker’s consulting company and the city’s police department terminated.
The contract calls for Whitaker to provide training in cultural awareness.
The university in 2011 didn’t find substantial problems with a book by Whitaker that a faculty member claimed contained copied passages.
Interim University Provost Mark S. Searle said a review of another of Whitaker’s books in 2014 found significant issues.
Whitaker says he is correcting the book and including an apology.
ASU has demoted him and cut his pay.
DiCiccio said ending the contract is the city manager’s decision.
