Suit dismissed in firing over creationism eMail


A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by a former Texas state science curriculum director who alleged that she was illegally fired for sending out an eMail message about a lecture that was critical of those wanting to teach creationism in science classes, reports the Dallas Morning News. The lawsuit by Christina Comer of Austin charged that her firing by state Education Commissioner Robert Scott in November 2007 was improper because she was accused of violating an "unconstitutional" policy. The Texas Education Agency requires that employees to be neutral on the subject of creationism, the biblical interpretation of the origin of humans. Comer said in her suit that the agency’s neutrality policy had the effect of endorsing religion, and thus violated the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution. State attorneys said Comer was fired for sending out eMails from the Texas Education Agency web site that gave the impression the agency supported the views of a lecture speaker, Barbara Forrest, who wrote a book critical of the tactics of creationists and their attempts to inject religion into science classes. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel sided with the state and Scott on March 31, granting a motion for summary judgment and dismissing the lawsuit…

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