Texas director of science curriculum sacked for favouring evolution
Offline I found this New York Times story posted over at Slashdot.
Evolution Debate Led to Ouster, Official Says
Published: November 30, 2007
AUSTIN, Tex., Nov. 29 (AP) — The state’s director of science curriculum said she resigned this month under pressure from officials who said she had given the appearance of criticizing the teaching of intelligent design.
The Texas Education Agency put the director, Chris Comer, on 30 days’ paid administrative leave in late October, resulting in what Ms. Comer called a forced resignation.
The move came shortly after she forwarded an e-mail message announcing a presentation by Barbara Forrest, an author of “Creationism’s Trojan Horse.” The book argues that creationist politics are behind the movement to get intelligent design theory taught in public schools. Ms. Comer sent the message to several people and a few online communities.
Ms. Comer, who held her position for nine years, said she believed evolution politics were behind her ousting. “None of the other reasons they gave are, in and of themselves, firing offenses,” she said.
Education agency officials declined to comment Wednesday on the matter. But they explained their recommendation to fire Ms. Comer in documents obtained by The Austin American-Statesman through the Texas Public Information Act.
“Ms. Comer’s e-mail implies endorsement of the speaker and implies that T.E.A. endorses the speaker’s position on a subject on which the agency must remain neutral,” the officials said.
The agency documents say that officials recommended firing Ms. Comer for repeated acts of misconduct and insubordination.
The officials said forwarding the e-mail message conflicted with her job responsibilities and violated a directive that she not communicate with anyone outside the agency regarding a pending science curriculum review.
The documents criticize Ms. Comer for giving a presentation and attending an off-site meeting without approval. It also said she had complained that “there was no real leadership at the agency.”
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That's quite disturbing. Why the hell shouldn't the director of the schools' science curriculum have an opinion on what sort of information should be taught? I'm not certain of such a person's precise job description, but I'd think it'd sort of be part of the job, and at the very least, not harmful. That is such a bullshit reason.
Christians are sore losers. They get reality shown to them then they cry bigotry.
I AM SORRY COMIC BOOK LOVERS.....YOU LOSE! There was no magical puppiteer who "POOF" pulled a full grown woman out of one peice of bone. Ghosts dont knock up girls and human flesh does not survive rigor mortis.
This woman is being chased out of her job much like people were accused of being witches in Salem. I cannot believe in 07 that history is backsliding into a theocratic past over the selfishness of a dumbed down sky daddy club.
Just wait folks, the days of clubs and tourches and angry mobs will happen again. If a woman can be chased ot of a lagit job for a lagit position that conflicts with their myth, this is a scary trend.
These same morons who did this to her, wouldnt buy "inteligent disign" if proposed by Tom Cruise or a Muslim Cleric.
This is nothing more than a theocratic agenda to turn learning institutions into churches. The state should be ashamed of itself and the citizens are doing nothing but returning themselves to the dark ages.
To the Christians who support seperating science from their religion, THANK YOU. You are not the people I am attacking in this post. But to the morons who would suggest that ID is credible, you are idiots who are doing nothing but dumbing down society.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
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Damn! How dare someone who's in charge of science favor science over mthology!
here is a copy of the e-mail that was so horrible: