West Point Geography Professor Sues Academy After Being Dismissed Over Climate Teachings
A tenured geography professor at the U.S. Military Academy was terminated after refusing to delete references to human-caused climate change and has filed a federal lawsuit alleging First Amendment violations.
Dr. Adam Kalkstein, a tenured professor of geography at the United States Military Academy, says he was ordered by Brigadier General Shane Reeves, dean of the academy’s academic board, to strip all mention of human contributions to climate change from his curriculum. Kalkstein warned that such a directive would be immoral and possibly unlawful, and refused to resign when Reeves proposed it. Six months later, the academy declined to renew his contract, prompting Kalkstein to file a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York alleging violations of his First Amendment rights.
He maintains that understanding climate change is vital for future officers, particularly regarding competition for Arctic resources and melting sea ice. The lawsuit highlights the Trump administration’s push to remove what it calls “wokeness” from defense institutions, including the denial of climate science. The dispute underscores tensions between academic freedom and political directives within the military education system.
Why it matters
The case tests whether political pressure can override scientific teaching in a key U.S. military training institution.
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