rally on February 10, Franklin made a speech protesting a war effort by the United States during the Vietnam War to invade the neighboring nation of Laos. According to the testimony of one witness, Franklin urged students assembled at the rally to disrupt university functions by shutting down its computer facility. Franklin concluded his speech at that rally by saying: See, now what we're asking is for people to make that little tiny gesture to show that we're willing to inconvenience ourselves a little bit and to begin to shut down the most obvious machinery of war, such as, and I think it is a good target, that Computation Center. A report in the Stanford Daily student publication suggested that Franklin urged protestors to "resist police efforts" with the effect of "inciting a riot." After his speech, students occupied the Stanford computer center and more than 100 riot police were summoned. Stanford president Richard Lyman gave Franklin a letter, claiming that he violated an agreement entitled "Statement of Policy on Appointments and Tenure", with the specific complaint that Franklin "deliberately contributed to a disturbance which forced the cancellation of a speech by Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge at Dinkelspiel Auditorium". A tenure-review committee was chosen, with professors from assorted academic departments. A lecture hall was converted into a makeshift courtroom. Stanford hired a major Los Angeles law firm, with lead attorney Paul Valentine, to argue the university's case, while Franklin, lacking funds as he was unemployed, had to defend himself with advice from a law student. Evidence was heard, witnesses were cross-examined, summations were given, and the panel left to consider its verdict. Franklin was found guilty of three charges of "inciting student disruptions". Accordingly, Stanford fired Franklin in 1972. He was the only tenured professor to be fired from Stanford. The termination generated nationwide media exposure and brought attention to the issue of academic freedom and freedom of speech. For a period he continued to be active with Venceremos, and in December 1972 was arrested on charges of harboring Ronald Beaty, a federal fugitive. Other Venceremos members had attempted to free Beaty during a transfer to court, and killed one prison guard and wounded another in the process. After being terminated from Stanford, Franklin was out of work for the next three years. Blacklisted, Franklin did not have regular employment during these years, although he had brief visiting faculty positions