West Point Climate Scientist Fired After Refusing to Censor Human Causes of Climate Change

Dr. Adam Kalkstein, the sole climate scientist employed at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, has been terminated following the spring semester of 2026. His dismissal, detailed in a lawsuit, stems from his alleged refusal to comply with an order to cease teaching about the human causes of climate change. Dr. Kalkstein, a civilian professor of geography who had served at the New York institution for 17 years, teaching Army cadets, claims his termination occurred six months after a contentious meeting with Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves, who was then the dean of West Point’s academic board.

According to the lawsuit, during a meeting in November 2025, Dr. Kalkstein informed Dean Reeves that removing content on the human drivers of climate change from the curriculum would be "immoral and potentially illegal." He reportedly drew a parallel, stating that such an action would be akin to "trying to teach the law without being able to even mention the Constitution." The lawsuit further alleges that Brig. Gen. Reeves reacted by abruptly exiting the meeting, asserting that Donald Trump, as the commander in chief, determined the agenda for West Point. These significant developments were subsequently reported by Stars and Stripes and The New York Times on a Wednesday.

Dr. Kalkstein's legal action is not an isolated incident concerning the alleged stifling of academic freedoms at West Point. It follows a similar lawsuit filed by Tim Bakken, who was the academy's longest-serving law professor. Professor Bakken reportedly had a similarly confrontational meeting in 2025 with a uniformed colonel, John Gregory. This confrontation arose after Professor Bakken challenged a new policy, implemented under the Trump administration, which mandated that civilian faculty members obtain approval before publishing academic papers or delivering public speeches. Bakken's lawsuit claims that Colonel Gregory instructed him to "stop talking and sit down" during a faculty meeting attended by numerous individuals. Colonel Gregory is alleged to have stated, "We're a military institution. We follow orders." The U.S. Military Academy, the formal name for West Point, has reportedly ceased its challenge to a preliminary injunction that Professor Bakken's legal team secured against this policy in early 2026, as reported by military.com. The context of these events points to a broader concern regarding the autonomy of academic inquiry within military educational institutions, particularly when topics intersect with politically sensitive issues like climate change.