By rehiring SLA terrorist, Univ of Illinois may lose $4 million donation

University of Illinois Student Union, Urbana

James Kilgore, who was a fugitive from justice for nearly three decades, was not retained as an instructor by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign--my alma mater--after his membership in the Symbionese Liberation Army was revealed by the Jim Dey of the News-Gazette.

The SLA is best known for kidnapping Patty Hearst, who later joined the radical-leftist terrorist organization. Kilgore, when he was finally arrested in 2002, was living in South Africa. He later pleaded guilty to second degree murder and an explosives charge. Kilgore was released from prison in 2009 and joined his wife, who was a gender studies professor at Illinois.

But Kilgore may be back teaching downstate--but it may be a very costly mistake from the U. of I.

From the Chicago Tribune--paid registration may be required:

But if Kilgore does rejoin the faculty, at least one major university donor has said he will withdraw his pledged support, which would mean about $4.5 million to the University of Illinois at Chicago's bioengineering department. Both UIC and the Urbana-Champaign campus are part of the U. of I. system.

Chicago businessman Richard Hill last year pledged $6.5 million to UIC's bioengineering department, the largest gift in the history of the College of Engineering and one that brought praise from Gov. Pat Quinn and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Hill said he has given about $2 million so far but will not follow through with the remaining $4.5 million if Kilgore goes back on the U. of I. payroll.

"I no longer wish to be associated with University of Illinois," he wrote in a letter to top U. of I. officials after the board's decision. "The Academy at the University of Illinois has clearly lost its moral compass."

I wonder how many Starbucks employees in Illinois working at Starbucks with a Ph.D. who could teach instead of Kilgore. The terrorist, by the way, couldn't even pass a background check to work at Starbucks, or where I work, for that matter.