Posted on 03/21/2014 5:55:12 AM PDT by Kaslin
A jury in North Carolina on Thursday found that the University of North Carolina-Wilmington retaliated against criminology professor Dr. Mike Adams for his political and social views.
Adams, a Townhall columnist, explained last year that despite his track record of success at the university in terms of teaching, research and service, he was denied a promotion to full professor because of the views he advanced in his opinion columns. He described the promotion process as being “replete with procedural irregularities and with direct criticism of [his] columns and [his] beliefs.”
The ACLJ, who represented Adams along with Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Travis Barham, explains further:
When Dr. Adams submitted his application for full professor, university officials rejected it through the use of a completely-fabricated promotion standard, passed along false and misleading information about his academic record, explicitly considered the content of his protected speech in promotion documents, and – incredibly – allowed a professor who’d filed a false criminal complaint against Dr. Adams to cast a vote against his application.
“[N]o individual loses his ability to speak as a private citizen by virtue of public employment,” the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit wrote in 2011. “Adams’ columns addressed topics such as academic freedom, civil rights, campus culture, sex, feminism, abortion, homosexuality, religion, and morality. Such topics plainly touched on issues of public, rather than private, concern.”
The university hired Adams, a former atheist, in 1993 as an assistant professor, and promoted him to associate professor in 1998. The “campaign of academic persecution that culminated in his denial of promotion to full professor” began when he converted to Christianity in 2000, which greatly influenced his views on social and political issues.
“We are grateful that the jury today reaffirmed the fundamental principle that universities are a marketplace of ideas, not a place where professors face retaliation for having a different view than university officials,” Barham said.
“The jury saw what we have long known to be true about the wrong done to Dr. Adams,” said Senior Legal Counsel David Hacker. “The verdict is a powerful message for academic freedom and free speech at America’s public universities.”
Update: According to the ACLJ, the verdict was only for liability. The judge will later decide Adams' relief.
Mike Adams' columns are always an interesting read, and usually hilarious to book.
Ping
They sure are.
“To boot”, not “to book”. Sorry, auto-correct.
The school should pay for Mike Adams’ lawyers. Of course, that would mean the taxpayers of NC would pay, but it serves them right for having such a Leftist state university.
TX has the same Leftist coven at ut, Austin, as do most states that pay the salaries for Marxists teaching and running our state universities.
Now that this is case law, watch for the University to appeal and then Obama’s black cloaked goons will dispense of this strike against the state.
UNCW is not unusual. This could have happened anywhere to any courageous professor. Practically every university is liberal/leftest; dragging down the economy with tuition increases further creating unsustainable debt while providing little or no value.
I wonder, which was the greater sin to the administrators?
Amerika, comrades.
Tolerance for all approved views.
Freedom of approved speech.
Freedom of approved press.
Freedom of approved religion.
Some animals are a little more equal than others.
“Of course, that would mean the taxpayers of NC would pay...”
Still, I hope Mike Adams gets significant “relief”. I’d rather one of the good guys get it rather than some of the 47%.
Real relief would include the termination of the committee members directly involved in derailing his promotion.
I despise liberal “universities”. The losers there want everything to be ok, “it’s all good” but it’s not all good.
“A Christian and a Conservative in academia? A twofer.”
A Christian who is a liberal (in the modern sense) may want to review the commitment he made to God, and whether or not he is a beneficiary of His Salvation.
I wonder, which was the greater sin to the administrators?
His greatest sin is that he also carries, and will go toe to toe with liberal students and professors and is ALWAYS correct. It drives them nutz.
Bing or google Mike Adams and read some of his columns, he is a hoot.
If the taxpayers feel the pain of allowing their universities to become left-wing strongholds, maybe they’ll demand greater accountability for what’s being taught in those environs and who’s doing the teaching.
Hooray for Mike!
Academic Lysenkoism..
I read him on a regular basis, though it has been awhile. You are right he is funny and he is a major source of irritation to the leftists.
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