Americans United and Ohio Citizens for Science
Cast Critical Eye on Ohio's Evolution Model Lesson

Press Release

On the heels of a federal judge's ruling striking down the teaching of intelligent design (ID) in Dover, Pa., Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Ohio Citizens for Science are renewing their efforts to combat the spread of ID in Ohio.

Ohio's Board of Education in March of 2004 adopted a critical analysis of evolution model lesson that opponents believe is a cover for instruction about intelligent design.

Earlier this year, Americans United filed a public request for records with Ohio's Department of Education for all documents related to the development of the 10th grade lesson eventually approved by the state Board of Education.

At that time, some members of the board and supporters of ID insisted there is nothing in the lesson about intelligent design.

But documents released by the Ohio Department of Education reveal that staff scientists and outside reviewers alike regarded the lesson as embodying intelligent-design creationism without labeling it as such. Even pro-creationist reviewers of the lesson thought it contained ID. One urged the department to add yet more information about intelligent design.

During the lesson plan production process, state Department of Education staffers went so far as to comment that one aspect of the lesson was a lie. Other notes made clear that material presented was wrong, off-topic and an oversimplification. Outside reviewers of the lesson agreed. One noted the lesson linked to websites including ones that were ID thinly veiled and obviously ID, and a slick ID site.

"Ohio Citizens for Science has argued from the beginning that the critical analysis lesson was just a stalking horse for intelligent design," said Dr. Patricia Princehouse of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, a spokesperson for Ohio Citizens for Science. "Now that a federal court has declared the teaching of ID unconstitutional, OCS and Americans United will insist that the Ohio Board of Education adopt a curriculum for Ohio's school children that emphasizes science, not theology."

Continued Princehouse, "The lesson was rammed through into the curriculum by creationist board members who claimed it didn't have any intelligent design in it. But it does, and now we have evidence they knew it all along. Continuing down this road will only lead to legal problems for the state of Ohio."

Contacts:

Patricia Princehouse
Dept of Biology
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
216-368-8585
440-478-5292

Dick Hoppe
Gambier, OH
740-393-7033

Rob Boston
Americans United
202-466-3234