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Conservative prof who was denied promotion wins First Amendment lawsuit
dailycaller ^ | 10:34 PM 03/20/2014

Posted on 03/21/2014 7:20:35 AM PDT by dennisw

First Amendment enthusiasts are thrilled that Mike Adams, a criminology professor at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, won his lawsuit against administrators who denied him a promotion because of his conservative, Christian views.

Adams joined the university in 1993. He was an atheist at the time. By the year 2000, he had converted to Christianity and become an outspoken political conservative. He eventually wrote columns for Townhall.com.

In 2006, he was denied a promotion. Administrators were retaliating against him for his conservative views, he claimed.

The jury agreed.

Adams’s lawyers said the victory is an important one for free speech on public university campuses.

“This is an incredibly important victory for the First Amendment,” said Travis Barham, an attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom, in a statement to Campus Reform. “To be able to speak freely without retaliation is a principle that should be a reality on campus and the jurors reassured that.”

Adams’s conservative views had irked many of his colleagues and some of his students, according to The College Fix.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: firstamendment; freedomofreligion; freedomofspeech; freespeech; highereducation; liberalarts
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1 posted on 03/21/2014 7:20:35 AM PDT by dennisw
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To: dennisw

Liberal University honchos say —— conform or be cast out


2 posted on 03/21/2014 7:21:28 AM PDT by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
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To: dennisw

Congratulations, Mike. You deserve it.


3 posted on 03/21/2014 7:25:47 AM PDT by Lee'sGhost ("Just look at the flowers, Lizzie. Just look at the flowers.")
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To: dennisw

I expect his office will soon be moved to a broom closet and any secretarial help will be eliminated.


4 posted on 03/21/2014 7:26:17 AM PDT by Brooklyn Attitude (Things are only going to get worse.)
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To: dennisw

“This is an incredibly important victory for the First Amendment,” said Travis Barham, an attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom, in a statement to Campus Reform. “To be able to speak freely without retaliation is a principle that should be a reality on campus and the jurors reassured that.”

*******************************

BIG win .... good for him for having the courage to stand up and fight. His article before going to court was a good read and explained a lot. Even if he’d lost in court, he was not giving up the fight for freedom of speech.


5 posted on 03/21/2014 7:27:26 AM PDT by Qiviut (It's hard to be a donk if you're sane & it's hard to be a pubbie if you have any integrity.)
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To: dennisw

bump


6 posted on 03/21/2014 7:28:19 AM PDT by VRW Conspirator ( 2+2 = V)
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To: dennisw
I experienced this in grad school. The hypocrisy of it all was one of my big wake-up calls in life.

7 posted on 03/21/2014 7:29:48 AM PDT by Genoa (Starve the beast.)
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To: dennisw

This guy is in the belly of the beast. I read his columns and they’re well written with a great sense of humor. He needs that sense of humor where he is. It’s got to be stressful but tenure has it’s advantages.


8 posted on 03/21/2014 7:30:12 AM PDT by albie
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To: dennisw
"First amendment enthusiasts"? Surprised at the DC.

9 posted on 03/21/2014 7:31:26 AM PDT by Genoa (Starve the beast.)
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To: dennisw

YAAAAAYYYYY!!!!

Good for you Mike!


10 posted on 03/21/2014 7:34:40 AM PDT by Adder (No, Mr. Franklin, we could NOT keep it.)
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To: dennisw

So, they’ll take a chunk out of the University endowment to pay this guy, and it’s no skin off the liberals’ nose.


11 posted on 03/21/2014 7:38:37 AM PDT by Fido969 (What's sad is most)
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To: Genoa

I recall there being a preponderance of women in my Masters program. All except one or two were divorced and had gone back to school to develop skills and “enhance their self-concept.” They also didn’t particularly like men as their ex-husbands were “absolute Neanderthals.”

I had an annoying tendency to point out that they were the ones that picked these “absolute Neanderthals” in the first place—Which they didn’t appreciate.


12 posted on 03/21/2014 7:42:17 AM PDT by Arm_Bears (Shoot cops that shoot dogs.)
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To: dennisw

Good news Friday!


13 posted on 03/21/2014 7:46:37 AM PDT by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like it)
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To: dennisw

From one conservative professor to another, CONGRATULATIONS.

Luckily for me, my review committees have always known my political orientation, and that has not been an impediment. Small colleges have their pluses.


14 posted on 03/21/2014 8:00:19 AM PDT by Republicanprofessor
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To: dennisw

Typical of reporting today: the article never says what this means in terms of Adams’s career (I know the guy, met him once, e-mailed many times). Is he reinstated with tenure (which is the correct call, plus punitive damages) or just given a payout?


15 posted on 03/21/2014 8:09:45 AM PDT by LS ('Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually.' Hendrix)
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To: albie

I have read a lot of his stuff over the years, and I really liked it. Humor, no holds barred, going right for the jugular.

Liberals HATE him with a passion. (a badge of honor, in my book)


16 posted on 03/21/2014 8:09:55 AM PDT by rlmorel ("A nation, despicable by its weakness, forfeits even the privilege of being neutral." A. Hamilton)
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To: LS
Is he reinstated with tenure (which is the correct call, plus punitive damages) or just given a payout?

According to an article on TownHall.com, that is TBD.

Update: According to the ACLJ, the verdict was only for liability. The judge will later decide Adams' relief.

TownHall

17 posted on 03/21/2014 8:20:13 AM PDT by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
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To: dennisw

This is excellent news! I’ve been praying for Mike Adams. I know that many liberals’ heads will be exploding today. Go Mike!


18 posted on 03/21/2014 8:30:07 AM PDT by punknpuss
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To: dennisw

So happy hope he got tons of money!


19 posted on 03/21/2014 8:35:36 AM PDT by Chickensoup (Leftist totalitarian fascism is on the move.)
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To: Genoa

“The hypocrisy of it all was one of my big wake-up calls in life.”

One of mine was going to the 1972 (I think) American Psychological Association convention as a hot-shot Psi Chi member and seeing PhD professors booing and hissing Albert Ellis as he tried to give his paper.

They didn’t confront him with devastating questions at the end of his presentation. Not that they could have. No, they smirked and heckled like prospective 9th-grade dropouts.

That’s when I decided I didn’t want to be a witch doctor.


20 posted on 03/21/2014 8:46:20 AM PDT by dsc (Any attempt to move a government to the left is a crime against humanity.)
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