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Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Sorry, I was so elated I left this out. A wise decision.
Dear Friends of NCSE,
A special evolution education update to bring you the news from
Harrisburg. The decision in Kitzmiller v. Dover was issued, and the
plaintiffs triumphed. In his 139-page decision, Judge John E. Jones III
concluded, "The proper application of both the endorsement and Lemon tests
to the facts of this case makes it abundantly clear that the Board's ID
Policy violates the Establishment Clause. In making this determination, we
have addressed the seminal question of whether ID is science. We have
concluded that it is not, and moreover that ID cannot uncouple itself from
its creationist, and thus religious, antecedents."
The Associated Press reports (December 20, 2005) that Pepper Hamilton's
Eric Rothschild, the lead attorney for the families who challenged the
Dover Area School Board's "intelligent design" policy, described the ruling
as "a real vindication for the parents who had the courage to stand up and
say there was something wrong in their school district." NCSE agrees, and
congratulates the plaintiffs and their lawyers from Pepper Hamilton, the
ACLU of Pennsylvania, and Americans United for Separation of Church and
State, for their well-deserved victory. Expect further details in NCSE's
usual Friday evolution education update.
For the Associated Press story (via CNN), visit:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/20/intelligent.design.ap/index.html
For Judge Jones's decision (139-page PDF), visit:
http://www2.ncseweb.org/kvd/main_docs/kitzmiller_342.pdf
And for NCSE's collection of information on Kitzmiller v. Dover, visit:
http://www.ncseweb.org/kitzmiller
--
Martin Weiss, PhD
Vice President, Science
New York Hall of Science
47-01 111 th Street
Corona, New York 11368
phone 718 699 0005 x 356
facsimile 718 699 1341
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