Controversy

On December 12, 2014, McAdams was placed on indefinite academic leave from Marquette University and was suspended from all teaching and faculty duties, banned from campus but retaining pay and benefits. This indefinite suspension came about after McAdams publicly criticized a graduate student teacher by name in a post on his personal blog. He said the instructor had refused to allow a student in an ethics class to express their views against gay marriage in class because the instructor believed that these views are homophobic and offensive.^[13][14] A letter from Marquette University indicated that the firing was the result of his thrice violating student privacy and deliberately publishing students' names and information to target them for harassment, and because he had done so in the third instance, despite previously acknowledging that posting student names was a matter of concern.^[15][16]

On March 24, 2016, Marquette released an announcement detailing the decision of University President Michael Lovell, formally implementing the unanimous recommendation contained in a 123-page report composed by the Faculty Hearing Committee after a 4-day investigation. McAdams' suspension was extended until January 2017 without pay but with benefits, and any return was conditioned on his writing a full letter of apology by April 4, 2016. McAdams told local news media that the requirement to write an apology was "a deal killer. No, I'm not going to do that."^[17][18][19] The announcement triggered a barrage of hateful and threatening messages and emails directed at the graduate student and at Marquette University officials.^[20][21] The graduate student later transferred to another university, saying she feared for her safety.^[22] More than a year after the graduate student left the school, McAdams continued to publish on his blog about her, including disclosing the name of the university she attended after Marquette.^[23]

On April 4, 2016, McAdams issued a 4-page letter^[24] to President Lovell, formally rejecting his demands, and calling them "compelled speech."

McAdams filed a lawsuit against Marquette, alleging that the suspension and pending dismissal amounted to a breach of contract.^[25] In response the university released the 123-page Faculty Hearing Committee report, which alleged a pattern of bullying and reckless behavior by McAdams, including at least three previous attempts to intimidate fellow faculty members by threatening to publish their names to his blog.^[22][26]

In July 2018, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered the university to reinstate him.^[7][27] Following a sabbatical, McAdams returned to the university in 2019.^[28]