The Boston Globe



The Boston Globe

September 3, 2000, Sunday ,THIRD EDITION

TEACHER, SCHOOL SQUARE OFF ON EVOLUTION

BYLINE: By Amy C. Rea, Globe Correspondent

FARIBAULT, Minn. - One side calls it an issue of freedom of speech; the other says it is a contractual dispute. At the heart of Rodney LeVake v. Minnesota Independent School District Number 656 is an enduring controversy: evolution vs. creation science.

It is a struggle taking place in school boardrooms, and in courtrooms, across the United States. Kansas, Oklahoma, and Alabama have cases pending involving the teaching of the origins of life. A district in the Minneapolis/St. Paul suburbs is considering including anti-Darwin texts in its biology curriculum.

Here in Faribault, Rodney LeVake has sued his employer over his right to raise criticism of evolution in the classroom.

The case, which is being reviewed by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, arose from LeVake's reassignment from biology to chemistry teacher at Faribault High School, after he told school officials that he wanted to teach evolution as a fallible theory rather than as accepted scientific truth.

LeVake says he had no plans to teach a course in "creation science" or to bring religion into the classroom.

"It sounds strange, I know, but it's been my lifetime goal to teach biology," LeVake said. "I taught general science for 13, 14 years, waiting for a biology position to open. I teach one year, then I'm reassigned. It was a crushing thing."

More crushing was his feeling that the school was jumping to conclusions about his motives.

"My colleagues know I'm a Christian," he said. "They put two and two together and leaped to the conclusion that I'd teach creationism. It was never my intention to make that leap. I didn't mind teaching evolution, but I didn't want to teach it as fact. There are inconsistencies in the theory, and they don't want those inconsistencies pointed out."

Lawyers for the school argue that LeVake's approach is a back-door effort by creationists to skirt church-state questions while discrediting evolution.

An English teacher in another Minnesota high school, Michael Frickstad, wondered whether a court victory by LeVake might affect teachers everywhere.

"I don't think it would ever change the separation of church and state," Frickstad said of St. Michael/Albertville High School in Albertville. "I don't think teachers would ever be able to bring up creationism as the absolute truth.

"But if he wins," Frickstad said of LeVake, "teachers might have more say in how curriculum is implemented and taught everywhere."

LeVake's story is playing out in this thriving manufacturing town of 19,000 south of Minneapolis, populated largely by Lutherans and Roman Catholics.

The dispute began when LeVake was assigned to teach biology in a school year that was shortened because of building construction. He shortened his evolution unit, something noted by colleagues who had not shortened the evolution coursework in their biology classes.

LeVake was asked to meet with school officials for three interviews and voluntarily presented a position paper, in which he wrote:

"The process of evolution itself is not only impossible from a biochemical, anatomical, and physiological standpoint, but the theory of evolution has no evidence to show that it actually occurred. I will teach, should the department decide that it is appropriate, the theory of evolution.

"I will also accompany that treatment of evolution with an honest look at the difficulties and inconsistencies of the theory without turning my class into a religious one. Anything less than this constitutes poor science and by its very nature science is a questioning discipline."

In an interview, LeVake said his skepticism surfaced during coursework for his master's in biology education. "There were too many scientists pointing to inconsistencies in evolution theory," LeVake said. "The mutations of genetic code, for example, just don't jibe with evolution and the millions of fossils studied that don't show a transitional form, which would be an indicator of evolution."

Faribault school officials, referring to Minnesota graduation standards, wanted a more straightforward curriculum for evolution, and feeling that LeVake would not provide that, reassigned him. LeVake began contacting organizations involved in religious and freedom-of-speech issues, eventually connecting with Frank Manion of the American Center for Law and Justice, who is representing LeVake in his case against the school district.

"We turn away most of the calls we get about teaching creationism in the schools," Manion said. "In the majority of cases, the local law is clear, and there's nothing we can do. But LeVake wasn't trying to teach creationism. He was very clear about that. He wanted to take an honest look at the scientific criticism of evolution over the years, but instead he's become a victim of antireligious bias. Or fear."

Manion and LeVake are adamant that LeVake's proposed curriculum would have been nonreligious and would not have been an attack on evolution.

"He understands evolution is the scientifically accepted theory of the beginnings of life," Manion said. "But it's silly to say no one has criticized evolution. And there's no legal prohibition against what Rod wanted to do, since he wasn't focusing on religious beliefs."

Not so, said Ehrich Koch, attorney for the school.

"This is not a religion-in-the-classroom case," he said. "This is strictly an employment and contract issue. His contract states that he can teach at the district's discretion for whatever he's licensed for. If he can't support the curriculum required by the school, they have the right to reassign him."

Both sides agree on one thing: LeVake is an excellent, highly respected teacher.

"He's a very nice man and a great teacher," Koch said. "The school values him. There have been no demerits, no censure, nothing in his employment file, no change of pay. They are simply exercising their contractual right to reassign him based on curriculum needs."

The initial court hearing resulted in a ruling in favor of the school, saying that the school board can control what a teacher says, even if it is scientifically meritorious. LeVake sees that as an ominous concept.

"This is about academic freedom," he said. "The school wants the kids to only know one side. And this is not just about science. Teachers in all areas will be affected. It's like the thought police are planning the curriculum."

But that is the school district's right, asserted Koch, who says that is why the case is weak.

"Those with a religious bent have already learned that they will lose if they say they want to teach creationism," he said. "So the current tactic is to discredit evolution. We don't dispute that he's not teaching creationism. But he doesn't want to teach evolution, which is part of the graduation standards here. It would be like being assigned to teach geometry and refusing to teach triangles."

The decision is expected to be handed down by the Court of Appeals by year's end. In the meantime, LeVake is preparing for a year of teaching chemistry. He says the community has been quiet about the dispute.

"I've spent 20 years in Faribault," he said. "The people here are very kind. They stay to their own business. I've gotten some calls saying, 'We support you,' but no one's been critical. It's a little awkward with my colleagues, and that's sad. We stick to small talk."

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