The only climate scientist teaching at the United States Military Academy at West Point was dismissed after resisting directives to stop teaching about the human causes of climate change, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court. Dr. Adam Kalkstein, a civilian geography professor at West Point for 17 years, alleges that his termination followed a confrontation with Brigadier General Shane Reeves, then dean of the academy’s academic board, over curriculum content addressing the climate crisis.
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, claims that in a November 2025 meeting, Kalkstein challenged an order to eliminate instruction on anthropogenic climate change, describing the directive as both immoral and potentially illegal. Kalkstein reportedly equated the order to “trying to teach the law without being able to even mention the constitution.” The suit alleges Reeves responded by abruptly leaving the meeting, asserting that former President Donald Trump was the commander in chief who set West Point’s agenda.
Kalkstein’s attorney, Michael Sussman, described his client as a conservative Republican who believes it is crucial for military cadets to understand the scientific consensus on climate change as a matter of national security. Sussman emphasized that Kalkstein’s objections were not politically motivated but rooted in a commitment to academic integrity and loyalty to the institution.
The firing came after a period of institutional uncertainty for Kalkstein. In May 2025, West Point announced plans to reduce civilian faculty positions, while simultaneously expanding a new humanities center that required additional geography instructors. Kalkstein accepted a non-tenured “term employee” position to avoid overburdening colleagues, despite losing certain employment protections. The order to remove teaching on human contributions to climate change reportedly arrived in September 2025, followed by the contentious meeting with Reeves a month later. Reeves retired in April 2026 and currently serves as president of the University of Wyoming’s board of trustees.
The lawsuit is the second recent legal challenge related to alleged restrictions on academic freedom at West Point. Tim Bakken, the academy’s longest-serving law professor, filed suit after a confrontation with a military official over new policies requiring civilian faculty to seek approval before publishing research or speaking publicly. Bakken’s case led to a preliminary injunction against the policy, which West Point later agreed “in principle” to resolve permanently.
West Point acknowledged awareness of the allegations but declined further comment due to ongoing litigation. Efforts to obtain comment from the White House were not immediately successful.
The controversy unfolds amid broader efforts by the Trump administration, now in its second term, to influence cultural and educational policies within the U.S. military. In April 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the removal of nearly 400 diversity, equity, and inclusion-related books from the U.S. Naval Academy’s library, a decision reversed by the Pentagon a month later. Trump’s public statements on climate change have fluctuated, sometimes dismissing it as a “hoax” or politically motivated “scam,” while at other times acknowledging climate change but minimizing the role of human activity.