Creation Books in Library

Dakota County: A parent in School District 196 (Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan) has been trying to donate copies of 2 `intelligent design` books, Darwin on Trial and Darwin’s Black Box, to all of the district’s secondary school media centers. The donations were rejected by district media specialists because the books do not match criteria of appropriateness and usefulness in support of the biology curriculum. In September 2000, following the district’s appeal process, a reconsideration committee made up of parents, students, and teachers voted 7-6 to accept Darwin on Trial and 6-6 to reject Darwin’s Black Box. These actions were appealed to the Board of Education by the parent and by groups of media specialists and science teachers. A teacher in the district told NCSE that the decision is not expected to have an impact on the way teachers present evolution.