Tuesday, January 17, 2006
California ID Class: A Patent Violation
"On January 1, 2006, New Year’s Day, after providing barely 24 hours notice to the community, the El Tejon Unified School District Board of Trustees (“Board of Trustees”) approved, by a 3-2 vote, a new course — “Philosophy of Intelligent Design” — to commence only two days later on January 3, 2006. The class is now in its second week, and is scheduled to run for the length of the school’s month-long intersession period, which ends on February 3, 2006. The course was designed to advance religious theories on the origins of life, including creationism and its offshoot “intelligent design.” With a single, inapposite exception, the course relies exclusively on videos that advocate religious perspectives and present religious theories as scientific ones — and, because the teacher has no scientific training, students are not provided with any critical analysis of this presentation. The course thus amounts to a patent violation of the constitutions of both the United States and the State of California. Plaintiffs seek a temporary restraining order and, if necessary, preliminary and permanent injunctions, to prevent the ongoing violation."
From the Americans United Suit against the El Tejon Unified School District. The complaint is available online, here.
From the Americans United Suit against the El Tejon Unified School District. The complaint is available online, here.
