West Point professor sues academy over climate change curriculum directive

A federal lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Military Academy at West Point by Adam Kalkstein, a former tenured geography and climate science professor. Kalkstein alleges he was forced out of his position after objecting to a directive to remove all mentions of human-caused climate change from the academy’s curriculum.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, asserts that the order originated from the Trump administration. According to the lawsuit, faculty were instructed in September 2025 to cease teaching that human activity is a driver of global warming. Kalkstein, who had been with the academy for 17 years, claims he was warned that failure to comply or speaking to the press could result in the dissolution of the entire geography department.

Kalkstein is seeking to have his tenure reinstated and is requesting damages, alleging that the academy’s actions violated his First Amendment rights and were intended to “chill and suppress speech and censor viewpoints contrary” to the administration’s stance.