Creationists Win Another Battle Against Scientists in Kansas Schools

Students to Receive Equal Instruction on Round-Earth and Flat-Earth Theories


March, 2006, ABP-Release: In a landmark ruling, the Kansas Supreme Court today upheld the ruling of a lesser district court and dealt another victory to Creationists and conservative Christians. Last August, a group composed of high school teachers, scientists, and film actor Alec Baldwin filed suit, claiming that a new law in Topeka Kansas—which requires public school curricula to include instruction of the so-called “Flat-Earth theory” in equal time to that given to the Round-Earth theory—was unconstitutional. The 3rd District Court of Kansas ruled in favor of the School Board, however, saying that the decision was “a local matter, not to be influenced by outside lawyers and artists.”

The State Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, upheld the lower court’s ruling. Justice Robert Gerwin, wrote for the majority: “We agree with the original ruling that Kansans can best decide how to educate the children of Kansans, and that the matter should not be left to activist scientists, atheist teachers, and left-wing b-grade actors.” In the three-page decision, Gerwin also lambasted NASA for “...perpetuating the myth that it is a known fact that the Earth is round. There are many respected authorities on both sides of this issue, and it’s unfair to pretend that one theory is better than another. We need to instruct our children accordingly so that they can make up their own minds.”

Writing for the minority, Justice Carol Beier penned one of the shortest Supreme Court dissentions in history: “What can I say…it’s Kansas. Nothing surprises me here anymore.”


(c)Hylo Bates, 2006
Back to The Brachiator.