Heckuva seminar, Brownie!
Michael Brown, the much-ridiculed former FEMA director who became a symbol of the Bush administration’s disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina, has landed a new gig: teaching a law-school class on the Patriot Act next spring.
An email sent this morning by a University of Denver law school administrator to students, and obtained by TPMmuckraker, describes the course as follows:
The USA PATRIOT Act passed by Congress after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, has been controversial in legal circles, political debates and the media since its passage. The Act created new crimes, new penalties and new procedural rules for use against domestic and foreign terrorists. Despite having safeguards, critics contend some provisions go too far while others contend they do not go far enough. The Act is up for reauthorization and this class is focused on the current status of the Act, its revisions and the legal and policy debate as Congress considers its reauthorization in 2010.
Fred Cheever, the associate dean of academic affairs at the law school, told TPMmuckraker that Brown contacted him recently and proposed teaching the class.
Asked what it was about Brown that recommended him to the school, Cheever replied: “His extensive experience in government and his willingness to teach.”
And asked whether he had any concerns about the hiring, based on Brown’s record at FEMA, Cheever said: “I see no overlap between what he did or did not do at the Department of Homeland Security and what he’ll do for us.”
Since leaving FEMA in disgrace, Brown, who lives in Boulder, Colorado, has tried his hand at several jobs. Most recently, he signed on as a vice president for the disaster recovery practice at Cold Creek Solutions, a consulting firm.
Brown did not immediately respond to requests for comment left on his home and work voicemails.