David French writes in Phi Beta Cons about a hypothetical professor up for promotion who, on paper:

presents some rather excellent credentials. He has published more than most members of the department (something like 11 peer-reviewed papers in 12 years), and he is an excellent teacher. Uniformly high student evaluations have contributed to three teaching awards, including two Faculty Member of the Year awards from the Dean of Students. But there?s something else. This professor is also a prolific columnist and has become (by far) the most famous professor at the university. His columns reach millions, he has written a book that was widely read, he has another book on the way from a major publisher, and he regularly appears on television.

David goes on to make an important point:

We all know that the academy leaps to the defense of scholars who compare World Trade Center victims to genocidal Nazis or persecute Jews in class, or accuses the Bush administration of slaughtering its own citizens on 9/11 but we also know there is little tolerance for a different kind of dissent ? conservative dissent.

Last week the University of North Carolina Wilmington denied Mike Adams promotion to full professor without explanation (read FIRE?s coverage here. During his time at Wilmington, the university has invaded his private e-mails, investigated him after false (and facially ludicrous) felony allegations were made against him, and now denied his promotion.