Academic Freedom Issues Focus of Lawrence University Address

APPLETON, WIS. — A university criminologist examines attitudes toward free speech and tolerance on American college campuses in an address at Lawrence University.

Mike Adams, associate professor of criminal justice at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, presents “The Constitutional Crisis in Higher Education” Wednesday, May 2 at 7 p.m. in Lawrence’s Science Hall, Room 102. The event is free and open to the public.

An outspoken critic of what he calls “academia’s hypocritical stance towards diversity,” Adams will discuss the issues of classroom bias, the free interchange between students and professors and the use of “speech codes” in higher education that he argues often “fly in the face of the Bill of Rights.”

Adams, author of the 2004 book “Welcome to the Ivory Tower of Babel: Confessions of a Conservative College Professor,” has appeared as a guest on Fox’s “Hannity and Colmes,” and “The O’Reilly Factor” as well as MSNBC’s “Scarborough Country.” He serves as a national columnist for Townhall.com, a conservative news and information website, where some of his recent columns have included “Dennis the First Amendment Menace,” “Legislating Morality” and “My Conversion to Radical Islam.”

A member of the UNC-Wilmington faculty since 1993 and a two-time recipient of the university’s “Faculty Member of the Year” award, Adams recently filed a lawsuit against the university claiming his civil rights were violated after being denied a promotion to full professor in 2006.

The lawsuit, filed April 10 in U.S. District Court against the UNC-Wilmington Board of Trustees on Adams’ behalf by the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom, alleges Adams was turned down for promotion to rank of professor because of his conservative views.

Adams earned both a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Ph.D. in sociology/criminology from Mississippi State University.

His appearance is sponsored by Students for Academic Freedom.