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Stumble It!A University of Kansas professor was treated at Lawrence Memorial Hospital after reporting that he was attacked by two men just south of Lawrence early Monday morning.
Professor Paul Mirecki said he was beaten by two men on a rural road in Douglas County just before dawn Monday.
The controversial professor, who is chairman of the department of religious studies, made headlines recently because of e-mails he wrote about Christian fundamentalists in connection with a course he was to teach on intelligent design.
Details about the attack are still limited, but Mirecki said two men beat him on his head, shoulders and back with a metal object.
Mirecki said he went out for a drive early Monday morning to clear his mind following the recent controversy when he noticed a truck tailgating him. He said he pulled over to let the driver pass, and that's when the men in the truck pulled behind Mirecki.
The professor said he got out of his car and the two men emerged from the truck and beat him. Mirecki described the suspects as two white males between the ages of 30 and 40. One of the suspects was wearing a red visor-style baseball cap and wool gloves.
Sheriff's deputies were called to Lawrence Memorial Hospital about 6:40 a.m. Monday to take a report of the incident.
While repeated attempts to reach the Sheriff's office, University Public relations and Mirecki were unsuccessful, the news of the beating has even Mirecki critics coming to his defense and speaking out against the suspects.
"We disagree on issues — the professor and I — but he has a right to free speech," Sen. Kay O'Connor, R-Olathe, said. "He does not have a right to expect tax payers to pay for his free speech, but I'll fight for his right to say any stupid thing he wants to — or any disagreeable thing for that matter."
Police are not releasing specifics of the attack or details about the exact location of the beating. Questions also remain about how the suspects knew who Mirecki was, how they knew where he lived and when they started following him.
The Douglas County Sheriff's office is still investigating the beating. If you have any information, you can call Crime Stoppers at 843-TIPS or you can call the Sheriff's office at 841-0007.
