Peru State College has revoked a speaking engagement offer to Greg Mortenson, author of the memoirs Three Cups Of Tea and Stones Into Schools, after the factual accuracy of the books was called into question by 60 Minutes.
"In light of the uncertainty surrounding Mortenson, we cannot set him out as an example for our students or southeast Nebraskans at this time, nor can we expect donors to continue to support his appearance," said Reagan Anson, the college's communication director. The $20,000 the college paid to secure Mortenson will be refunded.
The embattled author was the subject of an expose in 60 Minutes last week, lead by famed journalist John Krakauer. The program alleged that Mortenson had falsified some of the stories in his books, Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools, including an anecdote about being captured by the Taliban. In addition, Mortenson's charity, the Central Asia Institute, came under fire for a lack of transparency in their financial records.
Mortenson has fought back against the claims, averring that his co-author was responsible for the inaccuracies in his book and vowing complete transparency for his charity.