Dr. Adam Kalkstein, a civilian geography professor at the U.S. Military Academy, was terminated following the spring semester after resisting orders to remove content addressing human contributions to climate change from his curriculum. Kalkstein had served in the position for 17 years before his employment ended.
According to court filings, the conflict began when Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves, then dean of the academy’s academic board, ordered Kalkstein to eliminate teaching materials on human-caused climate change. During a November 2025 meeting, Kalkstein objected to the directive, comparing the restriction to teaching law without mentioning the Constitution and characterizing the order as both immoral and potentially illegal. The general allegedly responded by leaving the meeting abruptly after stating that Donald Trump, as commander in chief, set West Point’s agenda.
Kalkstein’s lawsuit represents the second legal challenge filed by West Point faculty regarding academic freedom restrictions. Tim Bakken, a tenured law professor with the longest service record at the academy, separately sued after a confrontation with Col. John Gregory regarding a Trump administration policy requiring civilian faculty to obtain approval before publishing papers or delivering speeches. West Point subsequently dropped its challenge to a preliminary injunction in Bakken’s case, with both parties agreeing to pursue a permanent resolution.
Kalkstein’s attorney contended that the professor, a self-identified conservative Republican, viewed understanding climate science as essential to national security and military readiness. The lawsuit alleges that Kalkstein agreed to surrender tenure protections and severance benefits in May 2025 to maintain his position when the academy proposed reducing civilian staff while expanding humanities positions. The subsequent prohibition on teaching climate causation, followed by his termination, forms the basis of his First Amendment complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. West Point stated it was aware of the allegations and taking them seriously but declined further comment due to ongoing litigation.
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