A Christian professor who was denied full professorship because of his conservative Christian beliefs has won a lawsuit in U.S. District Court.

Professor Mike Adams received the ruling against the University of North Carolina at Wilmington who refused to promote the associate criminology professor.  The school has been ordered to pay over $700,000 in legal fees.

Professor Adams has been fighting the school in court for over eight years because of their discrimination.  Adams, a former atheist that found Christ in 2000 and began to write a nationally syndicated column with conservative viewpoints, faced opposition from the liberal leaning leaders in his department.

Adams had received multiple awards for his teaching work and multiple accolades from colleagues.

Attorneys for the Alliance Defending Freedom said that the school is still appealing the case and that the costs could go even higher.  They noted the judge’s ruling only covered the attorney’s fees in the case and that increased damage awards against the school could happen following the appeal.