But faculty evaluations changed after the lightning rod's publication of sometimes incendiary columns, including work critical of academia, according to court records. Peers started downgrading his teaching even though they had not observed his classes.

In 2006, he applied for a promotion but was rejected, prompting him to file a lawsuit claiming religious discrimination and free speech violations.

Court documents note the rationale for denying his promotion changed along the way. Originally, his department chair said Adams met promotion standards for teaching and service, but not research, a court document said. But she subsequently said he was "deficient in all three areas."

Although Adams had started writing conservative political columns, he also continued to publish in academic journals. He showed that his record of peer-reviewed publications exceeded the stated guidelines of the previous four department chairs, and the school imposed "transparently higher standards" on him, according to court records.

"Since 1983, no department member with 10 referred publications has been denied promotion to full professor at the department level, except Dr. Adams," said a court document.