Comer Files Suit Over TEA Termination

The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Chris Comer has filed suit against the Texas Education Agency and its Education Commissioner, Robert Scott, over her termination late last year. Comer, the Science Curriculum Director for TEA at the time, was fired after forwarding an email to colleagues drawing their attention to a lecture given by a pro-evolution expert in the debate on intelligent design.

The lawsuit challenges the agency's neutrality regarding teaching creationism in the classroom.

Creationism is a religious belief. Teaching creationism as science in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States constitution. The Texas Education Agency ("Agency") has a policy of purported "neutrality" on teaching creationism as science in public schools. By professing "neutrality," the Agency credits creationism as a valid scientific theory. Creationism, however, is not a valid scientific theory; it is a religious belief. The Agency's policy is not neutral at all, because it has the purpose or effect of inviting dispute about an issue- teaching creationism as science in public schools- that is forbidden by the Establishment Clause. The Agency's "neutrality" has the purpose or effect of endorsing religion, and violates the Establishment Clause.

The remainder of the lawsuit is worth reading, as it gives details of the TEA's actions prior to and after the firing. There are also some interesting exhibits relating to the importance of Texas as a battleground in the fight by creationists to introduce the "strengths and weaknesses" argument against evolution.

As the Texas Observer notes:

After all the negative publicity, the mocking editorials, the scorn of the education community, and now this - a serious lawsuit - firing Comer looks like the dumbest thing TEA could have done.

Just before the State Board of Education is due to revise the state's science curriculum, the lawsuit promises to bring the issue of evolution front and center before the public eye. The State Board of Education is dominated by creationists, including the Chairman, Don McLeroy, and District 14's incumbent Gail Lowe. Depending on the outcome of the November elections, it is widely believed they will have a majority on the board. If that is the case, a lawsuit may be the only thing preventing the anti-science idealogues from introducing creationism to public schools through the back door.

Condemnation for TEA Over Forced Resignation

The decision by the Texas Education Agency to force out its science curriculum director, Chris Comer, for sending an email suggesting that her colleagues attend a talk critical of intelligent design is still reverberating around the state and beyond.

Barbara Forrest, the author of the talk mentioned in Ms. Comer's email, has responded in a lengthy rebuttal condemning the TEA for its actions.

In forcing Chris Comer to resign as Texas Director of Science, the Texas Education Agency has confirmed in a most public, unfortunate way the central point of my Austin presentation, “Inside Creationism’s Trojan Horse,” the mere announcement of which TEA used as an excuse to terminate her: the intelligent design (ID) creationist movement is about politics, religion, and power. If anyone had any doubts about how mean-spirited ID politics is, this episode should erase them......

Ms. Martinez continued, “Thus, sending this e-mail compromises the agency’s role in the TEKS revision process by creating the perception that TEA has a biased position on a subject directly related to the science education TEKS.” But why would the TEA be concerned about being biased in favor of teaching children the truth about science? The TEA’s proper role is to ensure the quality and integrity of what is taught in Texas science classes. My Austin presentation was most certainly not a threat to that role, but in fact highly supportive of it. I presented the truth about ID as established by years of scholarly research. Has the process of administering the public education system in Texas become so politicized that even the truth is a threat to people’s jobs? One can only conclude that it has.

The full text of Dr. Forrest's letter is published here.

Meanwhile, Bud Kennedy at the Fort Worth Star Telegram [link not found] notes the irony of the rationale given by the TEA in forcing Comer's resignation.

Those who believe in teaching creation as science often argue that both sides of a debate should be heard.

Yet when Christine Castillo Comer, a former science teacher, forwarded an e-mail announcing a public speech by creationism critic Barbara Forrest, suddenly that side no longer needed to be heard......

Kevin Fisher, the science coordinator for Lewisville schools, is a past president of Texas Science teachers.

"The most astonishing part of this is that the Texas Education Agency would want science classes to remain neutral between evolution, which is science, and creationism, which is religion," Fisher said. "I think everybody in Texas wants a 21st-century education for our children. Bringing creationism into the classroom is 15th-century education.