Ohio Could be Next Battleground in Intelligent Design Debate

December 28, 2005

Source: Beliefnet

Wire Service: RNS

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/182/story_18209_1.html

On December 28, 2005 Religion News Service reported, " Now that a Pennsylvania ruling has been made on intelligent design, Ohio could become the next legal battleground over the critical [issue of] teaching of evolution in public schools. U.S. District Judge John Jones III ruled Dec. 20 that intelligent design is creationism in disguise and cannot be taught as an alternative to evolution in public school science classes. The 139-page ruling, the result of a high-profile trial in Dover, Pa., is expected to have an impact in Ohio. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which helped bring the Dover lawsuit, has obtained boxes of records from the Ohio Department of Education pertaining to the state school board's adoption of a controversial science lesson plan nearly two years ago, as reported in The Cleveland Plain Dealer. That action is a prelude to a possible challenge of the lesson, 'Critical Analysis of Evolution,' which critics contend is warmed-over intelligent design."