UNC-Wilmington Settles With Professor Who Won Anti-Bias Suit

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has completed the terms of a settlement with a professor who sued the institution, and won, over being denied a promotion because of his conservative writings, reports the Star-News, a Wilmington newspaper.

Michael S. Adams, a criminology professor, will be promoted to full professor, awarded $50,000 in back pay, and given a salary of $75,000 per year. The university will also pay $615,000 in lawyers’ fees.

Mr. Adams sued the university seven years ago, saying he had been denied a promotion to full professor because of his Christian beliefs and conservative writings. A federal judge dismissed the suit in 2010, but about a year later a federal appeals court overturned that ruling. Earlier this year, a federal jury sided with Mr. Adams.