Phoenix wants repayment from ASU professor accused of plagiarism

PHOENIX — Phoenix wants an Arizona State University professor who was accused of plagiarism to repay the city more than $21,000.

The city asked Matthew Whitaker to design a cultural consciousness training program for Phoenix police officers in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Mo.

Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio said Whitaker’s company, the Whitaker Group, delivered the course, but alleged he plagiarized it from a similar model used in Chicago. The Arizona Republic reported 52 of the 84 slides used in Whitaker’s course were nearly identical to those used in Chicago.

“He told the city of Phoenix that he was going to design a course specifically for the city of Phoenix,” he said. “We could’ve gotten it (the course) for free.”

Whitaker’s company told the newspaper DiCiccio’s claim was “patently false” and it informed the city about 80 percent of the material was derived from Chicago’s.

DiCiccio said taxpayers should not be on the hook for plagiarized materials.

“He copied that course, charged us for preparation work, and I want that money back,” he said. “The taxpayers deserve to be protected here.”

DiCiccio said he applauds Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher for seeking the refund.  He did not say what the city would do if it doesn’t get it.

Whitaker resigned from his $284,000 consulting job with the city in July after questions were raised about passages in some of his books. He faced similar allegations in 2011, but told the city those were laid to rest.

ASU demoted Whitaker from a full professor to an associate and he is now co-director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy.

Update: As of August 24, Whitaker’s ASU directory page through the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy has been taken down, allegedly by hacker USTADCAGE_48. 

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