Indiana University will not renew the contract of a professor under investigation for a photo of white supremacy
Overview:
Indiana University will not renew instructor Jessica Adams’ contract after a student’s complaint under the state’s “intellectual diversity” law targeted her “Make America Great Again” class essay as white supremacy, even though the university cited unrelated performance issues.
Indiana University has decided not to renew the contract of Jessica Adams, a School of Social Work instructor who was investigated after showing a white supremacist graphic in a social work class she taught that explored the changing nature of diversity, oppression, power, and privilege.
Adams, a full-time teacher, was teaching his course “Diversity, Human Rights, and Social Justice” during the fall 2025 semester when he showed students a picture that separated overt forms of white supremacy, defined as socially unacceptable, from covert forms defined as socially acceptable. Among the subtle examples cited was President Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
The student challenged the course and filed an anonymous complaint alleging that Adams violated Indiana’s “intellectual diversity” law, which can penalize faculty for failing to present a range of viewpoints in their courses. The student also reported this lesson to Sen. American Jim Banks as a potential violation.
That law, Senate Enrolled Act 202, was passed in 2024 and allows students to report faculty members who they believe are not teaching diverse viewpoints. The move drew legal challenges; The ACLU of Indiana filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block it, arguing that it undermines the professors’ free speech. According to an earlier report, the university has filed nearly 50 faculty-by-faculty diversity complaints.
After the complaint, Adams was removed from teaching the course, a move the university acknowledged was unusual in a faculty diversity review, while it investigated the allegations. He continued to teach some of his classes, while diversity courses were taught by guest lecturers. When Adams returned, he was watched by university security guards.
At the end of the spring semester of 2026, Adams was placed in the development program. The program raised concerns unrelated to faculty diversity, including time management and curriculum planning. In May, he received notice from IU Indianapolis Chancellor Latha Ramchand that his employment would end on June 30, the only contract he currently has.
Adams defended the lesson, describing the illustration as a teaching tool that fits directly into a lesson designed to explore the power and systems of oppression. Speaking at a press conference with campus activist groups, he said he believes that teachers should be able to bring such ideas into the classroom and expose the process and accusations against him as unfair. “As a teacher, I should have the ability to bring those ideas to my class,” he said.
The case has become a point of contention in a broader debate about Indiana’s faculty diversity requirements and limits on academic freedom at the state’s public universities. Supporters of the law say it protects students from one-sided education, while critics say it stifles intellectual expression and discourages the teaching of difficult subjects.
The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) issued a statement about the impact this could have on social work. “Social work education prepares students by strengthening their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and developing knowledge through research, practice, and scientific inquiry,” said a statement released in November. “It prepares students to navigate differences of opinion, which is part of everyday life.”
Indiana University has not publicly disclosed the reasons behind its decision not to renew Adams’ contract.
