US District judge in Texas bucks the trend

[Engyo]

Judge tosses creationists' effort to offer master's degrees

By MELISSA LUDWIG
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

June 22, 2010, 11:31PM

A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit by a creationism think tank and school that attempted to force the state of Texas to allow it to offer master's degrees in science education.

In 2008, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rejected the Dallas-based Institute for Creation Research's application to offer master's degrees, which taught science from a biblical perspective. The institute's graduate school sued in 2009, claiming the board violated its constitutional right to free speech and religion.

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks of Austin found no merit in the institute's claims and criticized its legal documents as "overly verbose, disjointed, incoherent, maundering and full of irrelevant information."

In an e-mailed statement, school representatives said they were reviewing the decision and may appeal.

Texas judge tosses creationists' plan for science degrees | Chronicle | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

The scariest thing to me is that the school actually IS accredited in California.

 

[Smoke]

California doesn't surprise me. California is a cultural and political wasteland. Everybody thinks of LA and San Francisco, which are awful in their own ways, but there are hundreds of towns like Bakersfield and Simi Valley that are as backward as any mid-sized town in Mississippi.

The surprising part is that Texas didn't accredit them.

 

[Wandered Off]

Hooray for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board! I wish they could knock some sense into the State Board of Education, the idiots behind the textbook fiasco.

 

[Engyo]

Hooray for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board! I wish they could knock some sense into the State Board of Education, the idiots behind the textbook fiasco.

The point that really chaps me about that is the $11B shortfall we currently have should have made clear it was NOT time to require schools to purchase new textbooks, to the tune of $400M or so.

 

[Sunstone]

Good news for once.

 

[Mathematician]

Just declare it a degree in "theological science" and forgo the accreditation process.

 

[Smoke]

Just declare it a degree in "theological science" and forgo the accreditation process.

That wouldn't serve their purpose. They want to be able either to insert their operatives into the schools, or cry persecution when their credentials are scoffed at.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

At least one judge has taken a stand against such an absurd approach to education.

That wouldn't serve their purpose. They want to be able either to insert their operatives into the schools, or cry persecution when their credentials are scoffed at.

It's scary to think that the next neo-Conservative in the White House can potentially interfere with this and start tainting accredited institutions.