Evolution case begins in Georgia News
Evolution case begins in Georgia

[JURIST] Officials from Georgia's Cobb County School District head to federal court today to defend against a lawsuit filed by parents and the ACLU of Georgia accusing the school district of promoting religion by stating in students' science books that evolution is "a theory, not a fact." The lawsuit argues that the disclaimer restricts the teaching of evolution and promotes the teaching of creationism. School officials claim that the statement is only meant to encourage students to "keep an open mind." The disclaimer was added in 2002, after thousands of parents criticized the science textbooks because they did not discuss alternative theories to evolution. The US Supreme Court ruled in Edwards v Aguillard (1987) that creationism was a religious belief that could not be taught in public schools along with evolution. AP has more.