Dr. Adam Kalkstein, a civilian geography professor at the U.S. Army’s West Point military academy, was dismissed following the spring semester after he declined to remove content about anthropogenic climate change from his curriculum. The professor had worked at the institution for 17 years prior to his termination.
According to court documents, tensions emerged after a November 2025 meeting between Kalkstein and Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves, then dean of the academic board. During that discussion, Kalkstein stated that removing human causes of climate change from instruction would be unethical and potentially unlawful, comparing it to teaching law without discussing the Constitution. Reeves reportedly departed the meeting abruptly, citing that Donald Trump served as commander in chief and controlled West Point’s agenda. The lawsuit alleges that institutional leaders had first signaled concerns about Kalkstein’s position in May 2025 when announcing staff reductions while simultaneously creating new teaching positions, offering him only a reduced status role without tenure protections.
The case represents the second academic freedom challenge filed by West Point educators. Tim Bakken, the academy’s longest-serving law professor, pursued similar litigation regarding a Trump administration directive requiring civilian faculty to obtain approval before publishing or speaking publicly. Bakken’s legal challenge resulted in the academy dropping its opposition to a preliminary injunction, with both parties agreeing to pursue a permanent settlement.
Kalkstein’s attorney characterized his client as a conservative Republican who views climate literacy as essential for military personnel from a national security standpoint. The professor’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges violations of First Amendment protections. West Point declined to provide substantive comment beyond acknowledging awareness of the allegations while citing ongoing litigation. The case emerges amid broader policy shifts across military institutions under the current administration’s direction.
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