PUBLISHED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
MICHAEL S. ADAMS,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
THE TRUSTEES OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINAWILMINGTON; M. TERRY COFFEY;
JEFF D. ETHERIDGE, JR.; CHARLES
D. EVANS; LEE BREWER GARRETT;
JOHN A. MCNEILL, JR.; WENDY F.
MURPHY; LINDA A. PEARCE; R.
ALLEN RIPPY, SR.; GEORGE M.
TEAGUE; KRISTA S. TILLMAN;
DENNIS T. WORLEY; KATHERINE L.
GURGAINUS, all in their individual
and official capacities; ROSEMARY
DEPAOLO, individually and in her
official capacity as Chancellor of
the University of North CarolinaWilmington; DAVID P. CORDLE,
individually and in his official
capacity as Dean of the College of
Arts and Sciences at the
University of North CarolinaWilmington; KIMBERLY J. COOK,
individually and in her official
capacity as Chair of the
Department of Sociology and
Criminal Justice at the University
of North Carolina-Wilmington;

No. 10-1413

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

DIANE LEVY, individually and in

her official capacity as former
interim Chair of the Department of
Criminology and Sociology at the
University of North CarolinaWilmington,
Defendants-Appellees.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF
UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS; THOMAS
JEFFERSON CENTER FOR THE
PROTECTION OF FREE EXPRESSION;
FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL
RIGHTS IN EDUCATION,
Amici Supporting Appellant.

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Eastern District of North Carolina, at Greenville.
Malcolm J. Howard, Senior District Judge.
(7:07-cv-00064-H)
Argued: January 26, 2011
Decided: April 6, 2011
Before TRAXLER, Chief Judge, and
NIEMEYER and AGEE, Circuit Judges.

Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded by published

opinion. Judge Agee wrote the opinion, in which Chief Judge
Traxler and Judge Niemeyer joined.

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

COUNSEL
ARGUED: David Austin French, ALLIANCE DEFENSE
FUND, Columbia, Tennessee, for Appellant. Thomas J. Ziko,
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellees. ON BRIEF: Joseph
J. Martins, Travis C. Barham, ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND,
Columbia, Tennessee; Robert M. Schmidt, PATRICK
HENRY JUSTICE CENTER, Laurinburg, North Carolina, for
Appellant. Roy Cooper, North Carolina Attorney General,
John P. Scherer II, Assistant Attorney General, NORTH
CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Raleigh, North
Carolina, for Appellees. Martha S. West, General Counsel,
Rachel Levinson, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, Washington, D.C.; Robert M.
ONeil, J. Joshua Wheeler, THE THOMAS JEFFERSON
CENTER FOR THE PROTECTION OF FREE EXPRESSION, Charlottesville, Virginia, for Amici Supporting Appellant.

OPINION
AGEE, Circuit Judge:
Michael S. Adams appeals from the judgment of the District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina awarding
summary judgment to the sixteen defendants (collectively
"Defendants"), each of whom is affiliated with Adams
employer, the University of North Carolina-Wilmington
("UNCW" or "the University").1 Adams brought three claims
1
The defendants are UNCWs Chancellor, Rosemary DePaolo; twelve
members of UNCWs Board of Trustees; the Dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences, Dr. David Cordle; the former interim Chair of the Department, Dr. Diane Levy; and the current Chair of the Department, Dr. Kimberly Cook. The defendants were each named in their individual and
official capacities.

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

against the Defendants alleging religious and speech-based

discrimination, as well as retaliation, in relation to the decision not to promote him to the position of full professor at
UNCW. The district court granted the Defendants motion for
summary judgment on all claims, concluding they were entitled to judgment as a matter of law. For the reasons set forth
below, we affirm in part, and reverse and remand in part the
judgment of the district court.
I.

Factual and Procedural Background

A.

In 1993, UNCW, a public university of the state of North

Carolina, hired Adams as an assistant professor of criminology in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
("the Department"). Over the next five years Adams earned
strong teaching evaluations from both peers and students.
During this period, he received two faculty awards, published
several articles, and was involved in numerous service-related
activities at UNCW and in the larger community. In 1998,
Adams was promoted to the tenured position of associate professor.
In 2000, Adams became a Christian, a conversion that
transformed not only his religious beliefs, but also his ideological views. After his conversion, Adams became increasingly vocal about various political and social issues that arose
within both the UNCW community and society at large. He
became a regular columnist for Townhall.com and appeared
on radio and televisions broadcasts as a commentator. In
2004, he published a book entitled Welcome to the Ivory
Tower of Babel: Confessions of a Conservative College Professor, a collection of previously-published columns and new
material. Throughout this time, Adams continued to receive
strong teaching reviews from students and faculty.
As Adams cultivated his conservative standing beyond the
UNCW campus, some tension evolved within the UNCW

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

community. Some UNCW employees indicated discomfort

with Adams views and his manner of expressing them. From
time to time, UNCW officials fielded complaints from members of the Board of Trustees, the faculty and staff, and the
general public about Adams public expressions of his views.
Correspondence about the complaints indicates that while
UNCW officials, some of whom are named Defendants, occasionally expressed personal disagreement with the content of
Adams columns, they uniformly recognized that the First
Amendment and principles of academic freedom protected
Adams writings and other expressions of his views. At one
point, defendant Levy, then interim chair of the Department,
suggested that Adams alter the tone of his speech to be less
"caustic" and more "cerebral" "like William F. Buckley" in
order to "make things a whole lot more pleasant around the
office." (J.A. 43.)
In 2004, Adams applied for promotion to the position of
full professor. At UNCW, the promotion process is selfinitiated, meaning that Adams could apply at any time and
there was not an advertised "opening" for the position. The
UNCW Faculty Handbook ("the Handbook") described the
criteria for a promotion. Applicants are "evaluated in four
areas: teaching, research or artistic achievement, service, and
scholarship and professional development" and an applicants
record "should demonstrate evidence of steady growth and
maturation." (J.A. 649.) Moreover, "excellence in teaching
and in artistic achievement or research . . . rank highest
among the criteria for tenure and promotion decisions." (J.A.
649.) The Handbook specifically notes that "meeting any
quantifiable measures provided does not guarantee the award
of tenure or promotion." (J.A. 649-50.) Rather, the applicant
must "provide persuasive documentation that qualitative
criteria as well as any quantifiable accomplishments have
been met." (J.A. 649.)
The Handbook also contains specific explanations of the
requirements for promotion to full professor. For the teaching

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

component, "excellence is expected" and "will be reflected in

teaching performance and content and in teaching activities
outside the classroom," as well as in the sharing of teaching
skills. (J.A. 651.) With respect to research accomplishment,
faculty are "expected to demonstrate a tangible record of
professionally-reviewed substantial contributions to ones discipline" including "more tangible evidence of accomplishment than that of the associate professor rank, [although] the
difference in artistic and research expectations for a full professor is not solely quantitative. Greater quality, maturity, significance and originality . . . are expected at this rank." (J.A.
651.) For the service component, the criterion is as generally
described above, except that candidates "must show evidence
of leadership in . . . various service areas." (J.A. 653.) "Scholarship and professional development are continuing expectations of every faculty member," and are demonstrated
"primarily in growth and improvement in teaching, research
accomplishments[,] . . . and service contributions." (J.A. 653.)
Adams application included standard information regarding his education and professional history, as well as his academic status at UNCW, including courses taught, information
about advisees, committees, and boards he had served on at
UNCW, the results of recent peer evaluations, and honors and
awards he had earned during his time at UNCW. Adams also
listed ten authored or co-authored "[r]efereed publications
(including juried or peer-reviewed . . . writings)" that had
been published since 1992, and one additional article of this
type that had been accepted for publication. (J.A. 155-56.)
Relevant to the issues in this case, Adams application also
cited some of the external writings and appearances he had
made since his conversion experience in 2000. Adams also
listed non-refereed publications as part of his research and
scholarship, including his book Welcome to the Ivory Tower
of Babel and another book he had co-authored that was under
consideration for publication, Indoctri-Nation: How universi-

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

ties are destroying America.2 Under the "Service" heading,

J.A. 162, in the "Optional subcategories" subheading, J.A.
163, Adams included the following:
Please note that my informal advising to student
organizations, especially Christian groups, is also a
prominent part of my service activities. . . .
Also note that I use my national column (published on TownHall.com and sometimes in Human
Events) to help Christian groups fight discrimination. One prominent example is a Florida college
that tried to ban a Christian group from showing The
Passion of the Christ. My column revealed that the
school had falsely claimed to have a ban on showing
"R" rated movies. When I discovered they had
showed secular "R" rated movies in the past, the
school reversed its position. I routinely expose such
cases of anti-religious bigotry on our campuses.
(J.A. 164.) And under the "other" subheading for "Service,"
J.A. 165, Adams referred to being "an activist in the campus
free speech movement[, which has] generated a good deal of
publicity for UNCW," and he included a positive quote about
himself from "nationally syndicated talk show host Neal
Boortz." (J.A. 165.) As part of his community service, Adams
listed numerous speeches on "Academic Freedom" as well as
conservative issues, which he had given to conservative organizations and at universities, as well as radio and television
interviews. We will refer collectively to the foregoing materials listed in his application, which were not primarily devoted
to purely academic subjects in his field, as Adams "speech."
It is this speech which is a primary focus of Adams claims.
2

Although mentioned in his application, a copy of Welcome to the Ivory

Tower of Babel was not included with the application.

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

Under standard UNCW procedure, Dr. Cook, the Department Chair, after consultation with senior Department faculty,
was responsible for determining whether to recommend
Adams for promotion to full professor. If she did not recommend him, the application process ended. If she did recommend him, then the process would continue to the next level
of consideration.
Upon receiving Adams application, Cook forwarded it to
the senior Department faculty, asking for their initial impressions prior to a meeting at which they would discuss the
application more formally. Cook then compiled the individual
comments into a "document summarizing the major themes
raised in the initial senior faculty review" with the goal of creating "a document for discussion in the meeting of senior faculty." (J.A. 513.) Participants in the meeting that followed,
some of whom voted in favor of Adams promotion and some
of whom did not, uniformly described the process as "professional" and lacking rancor or hostility toward either the content of Adams speech or his political or religious beliefs. To
the extent that Adams columns and book were discussed, the
conversation centered on how to evaluate the materials for
"scholarliness" because they were not peer-reviewed or traditional academic writing related to his academic discipline. In
the end, the senior faculty voted 7-2 to oppose Adams promotion. Dr. Cook undertook her own review, but in part
because she looks for "overwhelming support from the senior
faculty," which she found lacking, she agreed with their decision, and did not recommend Adams for promotion to full
professor. (J.A. 514.)
Following this decision, Adams asked Dr. Cook for a written explanation. Her draft response noted that Adams had an
"adequate" record though there were concerns as to each
criteria for promotion, and that "the area of research" was "inadequate to merit promotion to Professor at this time" because
Adams scholarly productivity was "too thin." (J.A. 704.) Dr.
Cook subsequently edited this explanation. In the correspon-

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

dence she eventually sent to Adams, Dr. Cook explained that

the decision "was based exclusively on the promotion application and supplementary materials you submitted and [Cooks]
consultation with the senior faculty in accordance with existing UNCW . . . policies and procedures." (J.A. 181.) She indicated an "overwhelming consensus" of the senior faculty did
not support the promotion and found "the lack of support
from the senior faculty" provided "compelling" evidence that
Adams "record [did] not merit promotion to professor at this
time." (J.A. 181.)
When asked about certain differences between her initial
draft and the final explanation, Dr. Cook explained that while
Adams teaching and service were "adequate," that did not
mean that they were sufficient to "equal the significant standards required for promotion" and that what she meant was
that while there were concerns in all three criteria, "the areas
of concern in [Adams] teaching or service record would not
have kept him from promotion" had his research record been
stronger. (J.A. 519.) When Adams requested an additional
explanation, Dr. Cook expressed reservations that "distilling
the reasons for denial into one sentence (as you requested earlier) runs the risk of being incomplete." (J.A. 184.) She reiterated the criteria for the rank of professor and concluded:
The overriding concern regarding your record to date
is in the area of scholarly research productivity. The
scholarly criterion for promotion to professor
requires that a "tangible record of research" is
accomplished to merit promotion. Since your last
promotion in 1998 [to tenured associate professor],
your scholarly productivity in peer-reviewed venues
does not demonstrate a cumulative "tangible" pattern
of academic expertise in sociology, criminology
and/or criminal justice to merit promotion to professor at this time. The teaching criterion for promotion
to professor requires one to have documented "distinguished accomplishment" in that professional

10

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

arena. While your teaching record is the strongest

aspect of your application for promotion thus far, it
does not satisfy this standard. The service criterion
requires a "significant record" of service . . . . Your
service record to the university and to the academic
disciplines . . . is judged to be insufficient for promotion.
(J.A. 184-85.)
Additional facts relevant to each argument on appeal are
discussed in context below as we review the district courts
holding as to each claim.
B.
After receiving a right-to-sue letter from the EEOC, Adams
filed his complaint in the district court asserting claims under
42 U.S.C. 1983 for First Amendment Retaliation and Viewpoint Discrimination, Denial of Equal Protection under the
Fourteenth Amendment, and religious discrimination under
Title VII.3 The complaint named the Defendants in their individual and official capacities.
The Defendants first moved to dismiss the complaint under
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). The district court
granted the motion as to monetary claims against the Defendants in their official capacities and as to Adams Title VII
claims for religious discrimination against the Defendants in
their individual capacities.4
Following discovery, the Defendants moved for summary
judgment. The district court granted the motion and entered
judgment in favor of the Defendants as to all claims. Adams
3

The operative pleading is Adams first amended verified complaint,

which we will refer to as the "complaint."
4
Adams does not contest any aspect of that order.

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

11

noted a timely appeal, and we have jurisdiction pursuant to 28

U.S.C. 1291.
II.

Standard of Review

We review an award of summary judgment de novo. Hawkspere Shipping Co. v. Intamex, S.A., 330 F.3d 225, 232 (4th
Cir. 2003). Summary judgment is only appropriate "if the
pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and
any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any
material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a
matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). We construe the evidence in the light most favorable to Adams, the party opposing the Defendants summary judgment motion, and draw all
reasonable inferences in his favor. Hill v. Lockheed Martin
Logistics Mgmt., Inc., 354 F.3d 277, 283 (4th Cir. 2004) (en
banc).
III.

Overview

Adams complaint alleged, in essence, three causes of

action: (1) religious discrimination, in violation of Title VII
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C.
2000e, et seq. ("Title VII"); (2) viewpoint discrimination
and retaliation for protected expression, in violation of the
First Amendment, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983; and (3)
denial of equal protection, in violation of 42 U.S.C. 1983
and the Fourteenth Amendment. On appeal, Adams argues the
grant of summary judgment to the Defendants on each of
these claims was erroneous either because material facts were
in dispute or the district court made substantive errors of law
in analyzing the claims.
Before undertaking our analysis, it is important to underscore the context in which we consider Adams claims. Following the Supreme Courts directive, courts have been
reluctant

12

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

to trench on the prerogatives of state and local educational institutions [because of the courts] responsibility to safeguard their academic freedom, a
special concern of the First Amendment. If a federal
court is not the appropriate forum in which to review
the multitude of personnel decisions that are made
daily by public agencies, far less is it suited to evaluate the substance of the multitude of academic decisions that are made daily by faculty members of
public educational institutions decisions that
require an expert evaluation of cumulative information and [are] not readily adapted to the procedural
tools of judicial or administrative decisionmaking.
Regents of the Univ. of Mich. v. Ewing, 474 U.S. 214, 226
(1985) (internal citations and quotation marks omitted); see
also Urofsky v. Gilmore, 216 F.3d 401, 409-10, 412 (4th Cir.
2000) (en banc) (discussing Supreme Court jurisprudence
regarding "academic freedom," observing that it is a "term
that is often used, but little explained, by federal courts," and
noting that the Supreme Court has not established "a First
Amendment right of academic freedom that belongs to the
professor as an individual," but rather "to the extent [the
Supreme Court] has constitutionalized a right of academic
freedom at all, [it] appears to have recognized only an institutional right of self-governance in academic affairs").
For this reason
[u]niversity employment cases have always created
a decisional dilemma for the courts. Unsure how to
evaluate the requirements for appointment, reappointment and tenure, and reluctant to interfere with the
subjective and scholarly judgments which are
involved, the courts have refused to impose their
judgment as to whether the aggrieved academician
should have been awarded the desired appointment
or promotion. Rather, the courts review has been

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

13

narrowly directed as to whether the appointment or

promotion was denied because of a discriminatory
reason.
Smith v. Univ. of North Carolina, 632 F.2d 316, 345-46 (4th
Cir. 1980) (internal citations omitted). It is with this wellestablished understanding of the limited review courts may
undertake in cases involving employment decisions of academic institutions that we consider Adams claims.
IV.

Title VII Claim

Adams asserted the Defendants violated Title VIIs protection against religious discrimination by "subjecting [him] to
numerous, intrusive, and harassing investigations, asking him
to terminate his First Amendment activities, and refusing to
promote him to full professor because of his outspoken Christian and conservative beliefs." (J.A. 51.) The district court
granted summary judgment to the Defendants based on its
conclusion that Adams had not brought forth direct or indirect
evidence of religious discrimination. Viewing Adams arguments as "surmises" and "conjecture," the court held Adams
failed to produce any record evidence that reflected a discriminatory attitude which bore directly on the contested employment decision, as required under Rhoads v. F.D.I.C., 257 F.3d
373 (4th Cir. 2001). (J.A. 1378.) Furthermore, the district
court found Adams failed to establish a material factual dispute under the burden-shifting analysis set forth in McDonnell
Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792 (1973).
Adams contends on appeal that he produced direct and
indirect evidence of religious discrimination that created a triable issue of fact as to the reason for denying him promotion
to full professor. Adams points to his widely-known religious
and conservative views and the senior facultys comments
about his publications as direct evidence that he was denied
a promotion based on those views. As indirect evidence of
discrimination, Adams asserts he was the only professor with

14

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

his credentials to be denied a promotion to full professor in

the past twenty-five years. In addition, he cites idiosyncrasies
and misrepresentations during the promotion decision process
as evidence of pretext.
Title VII makes it "an unlawful practice for an employer
. . . to discriminate against any individual . . . because of such
individuals . . . religion." 42 U.S.C. 2000e-2(a). To prove
his claim, Adams had to "demonstrate that [the Defendants]
treated [him] differently than other employees because of
[his] religious beliefs." Chalmers v. Tulon Co., 101 F.3d
1012, 1017 (4th Cir. 1996) (emphasis omitted). Adams satisfies this "burden at the summary judgment stage if [he] establishes that [his] job performance was satisfactory and
provides direct or indirect evidence whose cumulative probative force supports a reasonable inference" that the
employment decision was discriminatory. Id. (quoting Lawrence v. Mars, Inc., 955 F.2d 902, 905-06 (4th Cir. 1992); see
also Hill, 354 F.3d at 284-85.
Having reviewed the record in the light most favorable to
Adams, we agree with the district court that he failed to set
forth direct evidence of religious discrimination. To do so,
Adams was required to show that religion was a "motivating
factor" in the decision not to promote him. Hill, 354 F.3d at
285 (quotation omitted). Adams did not make such a showing
on this record, and his arguments demand pure speculation.
There is simply no direct evidence that the Defendants treated
Adams differently based on his religious beliefs.
We also conclude the district court properly held that
Adams failed to satisfy his burden for proving discrimination
using the burden-shifting analysis of McDonnell Douglas. To
demonstrate a prima facie case of discrimination, Adams had
to show that: (1) he belongs to a protected class; (2) he suffered an adverse employment action; (3) at the time of the
adverse action, he was performing his job at a level that met
his employers legitimate expectations and was qualified for

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

15

the promotion; and (4) he was rejected under circumstances

giving rise to an inference of unlawful discrimination. Taylor
v. Va. Union Univ., 193 F.3d 219, 230 (4th Cir. 1999), abrogated on other grounds as recognized by Hill, 354 F.3d at
284. "If a prima facie case is presented, the burden shifts to
the employer to articulate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for the adverse employment action." Hill, 354 F.3d at
285. If the employer meets that burden of production, "the
burden shifts back to the plaintiff to prove by a preponderance
of the evidence that the employers stated reasons were not its
true reasons, but were a pretext for discrimination." Id. (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).
The district court found, and the Defendants do not contest,
that Adams met the first two McDonnell-Douglas prongs. The
district court assumed without deciding that Adams also satisfied the third prong and was qualified for promotion to full
professor. Although the Defendants do contest this point, we
will also assume Adams was qualified for promotion because
the last McDonnell-Douglas prong is dispositive of Adams
claim.
The district court did not err in concluding Adams failed to
satisfy the fourth prong of establishing his prima facie case
that he was denied a promotion under circumstances giving
rise to an inference of unlawful discrimination. Adams contends such an inference arises from the fact that "he is the
only Christian conservative in his Department" and "the only
professor in the past twenty-five years to be denied the rank
of full professor at the Department level with teaching awards
and ten or more refereed publications on his application."
(Appellants Opening Br. 66.) As the district court observed,
this argument fails in several respects. Although Adams contends he is the only "conservative Christian," his Title VII
claim rests on evidence of religious discrimination rather than
political or social ideology and Adams "forecasts no evidence
that he is the [D]epartments only Christian." (J.A. 1380.)
Furthermore, Adams comparison of his qualifications to

16

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

those of others in the Department cannot, by itself, meet his

burden. There must be some additional tie to a religious
motive for the decision not to promote him and Adams failed
to make that showing. Although some of his writings contained religious content and were considered during the decisionmaking process, that fact, in and of itself, does not give
rise to an inference of discrimination. Adams conjecture
links the two, but nothing more substantial does.
But even if we assume that Adams had established a prima
facie case, the Defendants satisfied their burden to "articulate
a legitimate nondiscriminatory reason for the adverse employment action." Cf. Hill, 354 F.3d at 285. The Defendants
offered numerous legitimate reasons for the decision not to
promote Adams, including the small number of peer-reviewed
single author publications since Adams last promotion.
Consequently, even if the burden then shifted back to
Adams to show pretext, we hold that he has failed to raise a
genuine issue of material fact that the Defendants explanation is purely pretextual. "A plaintiff alleging a failure to promote can prove pretext by showing that he was better
qualified, or by amassing circumstantial evidence that otherwise undermines the credibility of the employers stated reasons." Heiko v. Colombo Sav. Bank, 434 F.3d 249, 259 (4th
Cir. 2006). Due to the nature of Adams promotion, i.e., he
was not competing against someone else who got the position,
he cannot show he was more qualified than another applicant
who was promoted. Adams posits instead that he was as qualified as other individuals who had previously been promoted
to full professor. Adams attempt to compare qualifications
ignores "the inevitable element of subjectivity" involved in
promotion decisions in the university setting. See Smith, 632
F.2d at 342. Subjectivity in such promotion decisions is permitted so long as it lacks discriminatory intent. Id. at 345-46
(quoting Powell v. Syracuse Univ., 580 F.2d 1150, 1156-57
(2d Cir. 1978) ("[T]he law does not require, in the first
instance, that employment be rational, wise, or well-

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

17

consideredonly that it be nondiscriminatory.")). Purely

numerical comparisons are thus insufficient to demonstrate
pretext in this context. Id. at 345 ("[S]ince professors are individuals and perform different roles within a department, it is
difficult to compare the reasons for promoting one faculty
member with the reasons for promoting or not promoting
another.").
Importantly, in demonstrating the Defendants decision was
pretext, Adams had to prove "both that the reason was false,
and that discrimination was the real reason." Jiminez v. Mary
Washington Coll., 57 F.3d 369, 378 (4th Cir. 1995) (quotation
omitted). Adams cannot rely on his "own assertions of discrimination[, which] in and of themselves are insufficient to
counter substantial evidence of legitimate nondiscriminatory
reasons for an adverse employment action." Williams v. Cerberonics, Inc., 871 F.2d 452, 456 (4th Cir. 1989). In light of
Adams burden of proof, we find no error in the district
courts determination that the record lacked evidence to support Adams allegations of religious discrimination. Accordingly, we affirm the district courts grant of summary
judgment to the Defendants on Adams Title VII claim.
V.

First Amendment Claims

Adams separately argues the district court erred in granting

summary judgment to the Defendants on his First Amendment
retaliation and viewpoint discrimination claims. To begin our
examination of this argument, we review well-established
principles that guide our analysis.
The First Amendment protects not only the affirmative
right to speak, but also the "right to be free from retaliation
by a public official for the exercise of that right." Suarez
Corp. Indus. v. McGraw, 202 F.3d 676, 685 (4th Cir. 2000).
While government employees do not lose their constitutional
rights at work, the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the
government may impose certain restraints on its employees

18

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

speech and take action against them that would be unconstitutional if applied to the general public. See City of San Diego
v. Roe, 543 U.S. 77, 80 (2004); Pickering v. Bd. of Educ., 391
U.S. 563, 568 (1968) ("[T]he State has interests as an
employer in regulating the speech of its employees that differ
significantly from those it possesses in connection with regulation of the speech of the citizenry in general."); see also
Urofsky, 216 F.3d at 406 ("[T]he state, as an employer,
undoubtedly possesses greater authority to restrict the speech
of its employees than it has as sovereign to restrict the speech
of the citizenry as a whole.").
In Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U.S. 563 (1968),
and Connick v. Myers, 461 U.S. 138 (1983), the Supreme
Court analyzed the competing interests at play between the
public employee, "as a citizen, in commenting upon matters
of public concern" and the government, "as an employer, in
promoting the efficiency of the public services it performs
through its employees." Connick, 461 U.S. at 142 (quoting
Pickering, 391 U.S. at 568). In McVey v. Stacy, 157 F.3d 271
(4th Cir. 1998), we explained that Pickering and Connick balance those competing interests in the context of a claim for
retaliation by requiring the court to determine:
(1) whether the public employee was speaking as a
citizen upon a matter of public concern or as an
employee about a matter of personal interest; (2)
whether the employees interest in speaking upon the
matter of public concern outweighed the governments interest in providing effective and efficient
services to the public; and (3) whether the employees speech was a substantial factor in the employees [adverse employment] decision.
157 F.3d at 277-78 ("the McVey test"); see also Lee v. York
Cnty. Sch. Div., 484 F.3d 687, 693-94 (4th Cir. 2007).
To avoid summary judgment on his retaliation and viewpoint discrimination claims, Adams was required to adduce

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

19

evidence sufficient to show material facts in dispute as to each

of the three prongs of the McVey test. The district court, in
granting summary judgment to the Defendants, considered
only the first McVey prong, whether Adams speech was that
of "a citizen [speaking] upon a matter of public concern." The
court made no ruling as to the other McVey factors. Accordingly, we examine whether the district court erred in awarding
summary judgment based on the first McVey prong.
Citing Garcetti v. Ceballos, 547 U.S. 410 (2006), for the
proposition that "when a public employee makes a statement
pursuant to his official duties, he does not speak as a citizen," the district court observed that it "must focus not on the
content of the speech but on the role the speaker occupied
when he said it." (J.A. 1385.) The court then concluded that
when Adams listed his columns, publications, and public
appearances in his promotion application, he "implicit[ly]
acknowledge[d] that they were expressions made pursuant to
his professional dutiesthat he was acting as a faculty member when he said them." (J.A. 1385.) As a consequence, the
district court concluded that Adams speech was not protected
by the First Amendment because Adams "inclusion of the
speech in his application for promotion trumped all earlier
actions and marked his speech, at least for promotion purposes, as made pursuant to his official duties." (J.A. 1386.)
As we explain below, the district court misread Garcetti.
The district courts decision rests on several fundamental
errors including its holding that protected speech was converted into unprotected speech based on its use after the fact.
In addition, the district court applied Garcetti without
acknowledging, let alone addressing, the clear language in
that opinion that casts doubt on whether the Garcetti analysis
applies in the academic context of a public university. See
Garcetti, 547 U.S. at 425. Nor did the district court take into

20

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

consideration the only Fourth Circuit case addressing a similar issue, Lee, 484 F.3d at 694 & n.11.5
A.
The district courts initial error lies in its conclusion that
Adams speech, which the Defendants agree was protected
First Amendment speech when initially given, was converted
into unprotected speech based on factors that came into play
only after the protected speech was made. Although the district court framed the issue properly by noting it must focus
"not on the content of the speech but on the role the speaker
occupied when he said it," J.A. 1385, the courts subsequent
analysis ignores the role Adams occupied when he "spoke."
Instead, the courts basis for determining the First Amendment did not protect Adams speech was Adams subsequent
inclusion of past protected speech as part of his promotion
application. In effect, the district court held that Adams
speech in his columns, books, and commentaries, although
undoubtedly protected speech when given, was somehow
transformed into unprotected speech because Dr. Cook and
others read the same items from a different perspective long
after Adams speech was uttered.
The district court cited no precedent for this determination,
that protected speech can lose its First Amendment protected
status based on a later reading of that speech. Although the
Defendants understandably agree with the district courts
holding, they also provide no precedent for the phenomenon
of converting protected speech to unprotected speech after the
fact. Nor does the district courts analysis find any support in
Garcetti, which focused on the nature of the employees
speech at the time it was made. See 547 U.S. at 421-22. Nothing about listing the speech on Adams promotion application
5

See infra Part IV.B.

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

21

changed Adams status when he spoke or the content of the

speech when made.6
We do not agree with the district courts observation that
its holding was required because otherwise it
would allow those in [Adams] position to place
employers in a double bind: either neglect employee
requests and refuse to look at material, fueling allegations of free speech violations grounded in the
refusal; or consider the material, knowing that doing
so will open them up, in the event of an adverse outcome, to claims of free speech violations for basing
denials on protected speech.
(J.A. 1386.) This purported catch-22 is illusory. Adams
inclusion of the speech at issue as part of his application process asked the Defendants to consider it not according to the
content qua speech, but as factoring into the sweeping
requirements of scholarship and service necessary to support
his promotion to full professor. The Defendants were not precluded from examining the materials for a permissible purpose using lawful criteria. At the same time, their review of
those materials can be examined for an impermissible discriminatory use. This "bind" is no different than the commonplace consideration of criteria that govern all university
employment decisions. It does not open the Defendants up to
an insurmountable dilemma as misidentified by the district
court.
Accordingly, we find the district courts conclusion that
Adams speech was converted from protected to unprotected
speech to be error as a matter of law.
6

For the reasons set forth in infra Parts IV.B and C, Adams speech was
entitled to First Amendment protection at the time it was initially made.

22

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

B.
We are also persuaded that Garcetti would not apply in the
academic context of a public university as represented by the
facts of this case. Our conclusion is based on the clear reservation of the issue in Garcetti, Fourth Circuit precedent, and
the aspect of scholarship and teaching reflected by Adams
speech.
In Garcetti, the Supreme Court conducted a specific analysis associated with the first prong of the McVey test and the
Pickering-Connick factors, to determine whether a public
employee spoke as a citizen on a matter of public concern.
The plaintiff, Ceballos, wrote a memorandum as part of his
official duties as a deputy district attorney asserting various
perceived inaccuracies in an affidavit used to obtain a search
warrant in a pending criminal case. 547 U.S. 413-15. Ceballos employer, the county district attorneys office, subsequently altered Ceballos duties, and Ceballos sued alleging
retaliation based on his memo. Id. at 415. The Supreme Court
determined that Ceballos claim failed because he was not
speaking as a citizen when he wrote the memo. In so doing,
the Court concluded, "[r]estricting speech that owes its existence to a public employees professional responsibilities does
not infringe any liberties the employee might have enjoyed as
a private citizen. It simply reflects the exercise of employer
control over what the employer itself has commissioned or
created." Id. at 421-22. Accordingly, the Supreme Court held
the First Amendment does not "protect[ ] a government
employee from discipline based on speech made pursuant to
the employees official duties." Id. at 413.
Toward the conclusion of its analysis, and in response to
Justice Souters dissent, the Supreme Court stated:
There is some argument that expression related to
academic scholarship or classroom instruction implicates additional constitutional interests that are not

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

23

fully accounted for by this Courts customary

employee-speech jurisprudence. We need not, and
for that reason do not, decide whether the analysis
we conduct today would apply in the same manner
to a case involving speech related to scholarship or
teaching.
Id. at 425. As other courts of appeals have noted, this caveat
has left unclear the applicability of Garcetti in the context of
"speech related to scholarship or teaching." E.g., Gorum v.
Sessoms, 561 F.3d 179, 186 & n.6 (3d Cir. 2009) (commenting on the uncertain implications of the Supreme Courts
statement, citing law review articles discussing the dilemma,
and comparing the Fourth Circuits decision in Lee to the Seventh Circuits decision in Renken v. Gregory, 541 F.3d 769
(7th Cir. 2008), which applied Garcetti in an academic setting).
The plain language of Garcetti thus explicitly left open the
question of whether its principles apply in the academic genre
where issues of "scholarship or teaching" are in play. We recognized this fact in Lee, the only Fourth Circuit case to discuss Garcettis applicability in this area:
The Supreme Court in Garcetti held that when public employees make statements pursuant to their official duties, the employees are not speaking as
citizens for First Amendment purposes, and the Constitution does not insulate their communications
from employer discipline. The Court explicitly did
not decide whether this analysis would apply in the
same manner to a case involving speech related to
teaching. Thus, we continue to apply the PickeringConnick standard . . . to this appeal.
484 F.3d at 694 n.11 (citations and quotation omitted).
Although Lee concerned a public high school teachers First
Amendment rights in the classroom, its basis for using the

24

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

Pickering-Connick analysis as opposed to Garcetti is equally

if not more valid in the public university setting, which
is the specific arena that concerned both the majority and the
dissent in Garcetti. Therefore, we are not compelled by Garcetti to extend its principles to the case at bar.
There may be instances in which a public university faculty
members assigned duties include a specific role in declaring
or administering university policy, as opposed to scholarship
or teaching. In that circumstance, Garcetti may apply to the
specific instances of the faculty members speech carrying out
those duties. However, that is clearly not the circumstance in
the case at bar. Defendants agree Adams speech involves
scholarship and teaching; indeed, as we discuss below, that is
one of the reasons they say Garcetti should apply because
UNCW paid Adams to be a scholar and a teacher regardless
of the setting for his work. But the scholarship and teaching
in this case, Adams speech, was intended for and directed at
a national or international audience on issues of public importance unrelated to any of Adams assigned teaching duties at
UNCW or any other terms of his employment found in the
record. Defendants concede none of Adams speech was
undertaken at the direction of UNCW, paid for by UNCW, or
had any direct application to his UNCW duties.7
Applying Garcetti to the academic work of a public university faculty member under the facts of this case could place
beyond the reach of First Amendment protection many forms
of public speech or service a professor engaged in during his
employment. That would not appear to be what Garcetti
intended, nor is it consistent with our long-standing recognition that no individual loses his ability to speak as a private
citizen by virtue of public employment. In light of the above
factors, we will not apply Garcetti to the circumstances of this
case.
7

Defendants agree independent third parties paid Adams for his columns, books, commentaries and speeches.

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

25

The Defendants nonetheless contend that because Adams

was employed as an associate professor, and his position
required him to engage in scholarship, research, and service
to the community, Adams speech constituted "statements
made pursuant to [his] official duties." Cf., Garcetti, 547 U.S.
at 421. In other words, the Defendants argue Adams was
employed to undertake his speech. This argument underscores
the problem recognized by both the majority and the dissent
in Garcetti, that "implicates additional constitutional interests
that are not fully accounted for" when it comes to "expression
related to academic scholarship or classroom instruction." Id.
at 425; see also id. at 438 (Souter, J., dissenting) ("I have to
hope that todays majority does not mean to imperil First
Amendment protection of academic freedom in public colleges and universities, whose teachers necessarily speak and
write pursuant to . . . official duties."). Put simply, Adams
speech was not tied to any more specific or direct employee
duty than the general concept that professors will engage in
writing, public appearances, and service within their respective fields. For all the reasons discussed above, that thin
thread is insufficient to render Adams speech "pursuant to
[his] official duties" as intended by Garcetti.
C.
Instead, a review of Adams speech utilizes the PickeringConnick analysis for determining whether it was that of a public employee, speaking as a citizen upon a matter of public
concern. See McVey, 157 F.3d at 277-78. This analysis permits a nuanced consideration of the range of issues that arise
in the unique genre of academia. Under that analysis, "[t]o
determine whether speech involves a matter of public concern, we examine the content, form, and context of the speech
at issue in light of the entire record." Kirby v. City of Elizabeth City, 388 F.3d 440, 446 (4th Cir. 2004) (citing Connick,
461 U.S. at 147-48). "Speech involves a matter of public concern when it involves an issue of social, political, or other
interest to a community." Id. (citing Connick, 461 U.S. at

26

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

146); see also City of San Diego, 543 U.S. at 83-84 (observing that "public concern is something that is a subject of legitimate news interest; that is, a subject of general interest and
of value and concern to the public at the time of publication").
For purposes of this inquiry, it does not matter "how interesting or important the subject of an employees speech is," and
"the place where the speech occurs is [also] irrelevant." Urofsky, 216 F.3d at 407.
Having reviewed the record, we conclude Adams speech
was clearly that of a citizen speaking on a matter of public
concern. Adams columns addressed topics such as academic
freedom, civil rights, campus culture, sex, feminism, abortion,
homosexuality, religion, and morality. Such topics plainly
touched on issues of public, rather than private, concern. E.g.,
Connick, 461 U.S. at 147-148 (holding that a questionnaire
almost entirely addressing internal office matters involved a
matter of private concern); Boring v. Buncombe County Bd.
of Educ., 136 F.3d 364, 368 (4th Cir. 1998) (en banc) (holding
that a teachers selection of a play to be presented at a public
school constituted a matter of private concern).
The Defendants arguments to the contrary rest on the same
fallacy engaged by the district court, and focus not on the
nature of Adams speech at the time it was made, but on his
inclusion of those materials in the "private" context of his promotion application. Nothing in the district courts analysis or
the Defendants contentions rebut the conclusion that Adams
speech was that of "a citizen speaking on a matter of public
concern."
D.
For the aforementioned reasons, we hold that the district
court erred as a matter of law in determining Adams failed to
satisfy the first prong of the McVey test. We further hold that
under the Pickering-Adams analysis, Adams has satisfied the
first McVey prong as a matter of law. Because the district

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

27

court has never addressed whether the second and third

prongs of the McVey test are met in this case, we remand the
case for further proceedings relevant to that determination.8
As a final matter, we note that remand is appropriate
despite the Defendants alternative argument that the district
court erred in denying their defense of qualified immunity.
The Defendants assert they were entitled to immunity as to
Adams First Amendment claim because their conduct did not
violate a "clearly established constitutional right" given the
uncertain state of the law in the area of what protection should
be afforded to public university teachers speech following Garcetti.9 We disagree. Garcetti provided an additional component to the McVey test and the Pickering-Connick analysis
traditionally applied in assessing whether the First Amendment protects a public employees speech. However, the
underlying right Adams asserts the Defendants violated
that of a public employee to speak as a citizen on matters of
public concern is clearly established and something a reasonable person in the Defendants position should have
8

The district court also granted the Defendants summary judgment on

what it identified as Adams four retaliation claims that did not involve his
promotion. Because the courts "official duties" analysis did not apply to
the retaliation claims, the court found that those claims failed because
Adams failed "to forecast evidence sufficient to withstand summary judgment on the McVey tests requirement of a causal nexus between the
speech and any of the alleged retaliatory employment actions." (J.A.
1387.) Although Adams opening brief mentioned the four purported retaliatory actions, he never addresses the courts dispositive finding as to
those claims. Accordingly, Adams has abandoned those claims and we do
not address them on appeal. See Fed. R. App. Pro. 28(a)(9)(A); see also
Rosenberger v. Rector & Visitors, 18 F.3d 269, 276-77 (4th Cir. 1994),
revd on other grounds, 515 U.S. 819 (1995).
9
To determine whether the Defendants were entitled to immunity, the
Court must (1) identify the right allegedly violated, (2) consider whether
at the time of the alleged violation the right was clearly established, and
(3) determine whether a reasonable person in the Defendants position
would have known that their actions violated that right. Wilson v. Layne,
141 F.3d 111, 114 (4th Cir. 1998) (en banc).

28

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

known was protected. As such, the Defendants are not entitled

to qualified immunity, and the proper course is to remand
Adams claims for further consideration under the second and
third prongs of the McVey test.
VI.

Equal Protection

Adams lastly contends that the district court erred in granting the Defendants summary judgment on his Equal Protection claim. As noted, the district court concluded Adams
failed to bring forth any evidence that the Defendants actions
were based on Adams Christian beliefs or that any evidence
forecast that he was treated "differently than a similarly situated professor on any other basis." (J.A. 1389.) Adams contends this was error because the evidence in the record creates
a genuine issue of fact as to whether the Defendants discriminated against his conservative religious viewpoint in favor of
faculty who expressed "left-leaning viewpoints." (Appellants
Opening Br. 70.)
Public employees are entitled to bring 1983 actions
asserting claims based on equal protection violations. See
Booth v. Maryland, 327 F.3d 377, 382-83 (4th Cir. 2003). To
succeed on such a claim, Adams was required to plead sufficient facts to "demonstrate that he has been treated differently from others with whom he is similarly situated and that
the unequal treatment was the result of intentional or purposeful discrimination." Williams v. Hansen, 326 F.3d 569, 576
(4th Cir. 2003) (quoting Morrison v. Garraghty, 239 F.3d
648, 654 (4th Cir. 2001)). Having reviewed the record, we
agree with the district courts conclusion that Adams evidence creates no issue of disputed fact that the Defendants
decision to deny his promotion was the result of intentional or
purposeful discrimination based on his religious beliefs, or
that he was treated differently from others with whom he was
similarly situated. As discussed in detail above, we are reluctant to revisit the "subjective and scholarly judgments"
involved in university tenure and promotion decisions by

ADAMS v. TRUSTEES OF UNCW

29

engaging in the sort of comparisons to other promotion decisions that Adams would have us undertake. Cf. Smith, 632
F.2d at 345-46. Accordingly, the district court did not err in
granting the Defendants motion for summary judgment on
this claim.
VII.
For the foregoing reasons, we reverse the district courts
grant of summary judgment as to Adams First Amendment
claims of viewpoint discrimination and retaliation. We affirm
the district courts grant of summary judgment on Adams
Title VII and Equal Protection claims. Accordingly, we
remand this case for further proceedings consistent with this
opinion as to the viewpoint discrimination and retaliation
claims.
AFFIRMED IN PART,
REVERSED IN PART,
AND REMANDED