Dover School Board officially Rescinds 'Intelligent Design' Policy

[LynneSin]

Case Closed!!

Mind you it's rescinded because first, they got a major smackdown from the judge about how ID really is all about religion and thus violating the separation of Church & State. It's also been rescinded because in Nov 2005, the voters of Dover PA decided to give the boot to the then pro-ID school board in favor of a new school board that felt ID should not be a part of the science curriculum. However the new school board opted to let the finally ruling come through (and thank goodness they did - what a great ruling from a Dubya-appointed Judge!!)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1467917

DOVER, Pa. Jan 3, 2006 — The Dover school board on Tuesday rescinded its policy of presenting "intelligent design" as an alternative to evolution in high school biology classes, two weeks after a federal judge found the concept was religious and not scientific.

There was no discussion by members of the Dover Area School Board before the voice vote Tuesday night.

The policy, approved in October 2004, required that a statement be read to students about "intelligent design" before ninth-grade lessons on evolution. The statement said Darwin's theory is "not a fact" and has inexplicable "gaps." It referred students to an "intelligent-design" book.

On Dec. 20, U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III sided with eight families who argued that "intelligent design," which attributes the existence of complex organisms to an unidentified intelligent cause, is biblical creationism in disguise.

The school board said it was trying to improve science education by exposing students to alternatives.

But the judge said the board's real purpose was "to promote religion in the public school classroom," and said intelligent design could not be taught as an alternative to evolution in biology classes.

Most of the school board incumbents who had defended the policy were ousted in the November election, replaced by candidates who pledged to eliminate it.


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This just proves that if you fight for something you believe in you can make a difference. Dover is in the heart of 'Red State' Pennsylvania and yet they managed to oust the idiot pro-ID school board (well 8 of them, 1 wasn't up for re-election) in favor of a school board that puts science first and leaves religion for Sunday School!

[NewWaveChick1981]

1. Very cool!

And Judge Jones wasn't fooled or swayed by creationists, either. This sets the precedent if there are other cases like it!

[Wilms]

2. Thanks, Lynne. n/t