Natural selection: The Neanderthals on the Dover County, Penn., school board who supported teaching in biology class that intelligent design is an alternative to evolution received a civics lesson yesterday. Seven of eight board members — all of whom supported the inclusion of ID as an alternative explanation for the existence of the duck-billed platypus — were defeated in their re-election campaigns. The eighth board member was not up for re-election.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that voters were confused by the focus on the issue:
“Everybody is making this the No. 1 issue and we think … other things are more important,” said Phillip Herman, a Democrat who ran with Dover CARES [the slate of challengers].
That’s something both slates agreed on.
“The voters were so mixed up with the intelligent-design case that it’s been tough for us to get our message out about anything else,” said ousted member David Napierskie.
The debate over the school curriculum led eight families to sue the school board, charging that the board was violating the separation of church and state. The trial ended Friday and a verdict is expected in early January. The new school board members will be sworn in Dec. 5.
