Dr. Adam Kalkstein, a civilian geography professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, was dismissed following the spring semester this year after declining to comply with directives to exclude material addressing anthropogenic climate change from his courses. Kalkstein had served as an educator at the institution for 17 years prior to his termination.
The professor’s legal action alleges that in November 2025, he met with Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves, then dean of the academic board, to discuss the curriculum modification order. Kalkstein stated that removing content about human contributions to climate change would be inappropriate, comparing it to teaching law without reference to the Constitution. According to the lawsuit, Reeves exited the meeting abruptly after asserting that the current administration’s policies would guide West Point’s direction. The termination occurred approximately six months after this confrontation.
Kalkstein’s case represents the second legal challenge to academic freedom restrictions at West Point. Tim Bakken, a long-serving law professor, pursued separate litigation regarding a policy requiring civilian faculty to obtain approval before publishing or delivering speeches. Bakken’s legal team obtained a preliminary injunction against that policy, and the academy subsequently opted not to contest it, with both parties agreeing to pursue a permanent resolution.
The lawsuit characterizes Kalkstein as a conservative Republican who views instruction on climate science causes as essential for military readiness and national security concerns. His attorney contended that the professor’s position was grounded in factual accuracy rather than ideology. The suit alleges initial threats to Kalkstein’s position emerged in May 2025 when leadership proposed reducing civilian staff while establishing a new center requiring additional geography faculty. Kalkstein accepted a transition to temporary employment status, surrendering tenure protections, to maintain his position.
The legal filing asserts violations of First Amendment protections. West Point acknowledged awareness of the allegations in a statement but declined further comment pending litigation resolution.
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