Creationist to Board of Education

The institution of a self-proclaimed creationist, Christian and social conservative as chairman of the Texas Board of Education has aroused skepticism within the intellectual community.

Dr. Don McLeroy, a dentist, was first elected to the board in 1998 after previously serving on the Bryan school board. His job includes presiding over deliberations on new curriculum standards, as well as implementing new laws such as those regarding textbook selection.

Many fear that McLeroy will not act without adhering to his own personal ethical and religious agenda when residing over a board slated to review and possibly revise not only state-wide English, but science curriculum within the next year.

"Texas parents should be troubled that the governor has appointed as head of the state board a clear ideologue who has repeatedly put his own personal and political agendas ahead of sound science, good health and solid textbooks for students," said Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network, which opposes any mixing of church and state.

Fueling this discontent is McLeroy's controversial voting history over the past eight years. In 2001, he voted against an environmental science textbook because he disagreed with its content. When this action was later tried in court, the Texas Public Policy Foundation was said to have claimed the book's explanation of global warming and other such hot issues were "anti-American and anti-Christian."

In 2003, he voted against an advanced placement biology textbook because it did not elaborate on possible weaknesses in the theory of evolution. In 2004, he voted that health textbooks should discuss abstinence from sexual activity as the only preventative measure for pregnancy and the obtainment of sexually transmitted diseases. On all of these issues, McLeroy was supported by the majority of his seven Republican peers.

"In most of the books we are considering adopting, our students are not being presented both sides; the minority viewpoint is being withheld," McLeroy said in an Oct. 30, 2003 letter to fellow board members. "This means that these books do not conform to our standards.

"I don't think I share a common ancestor with a tree. However, most of the books we are considering adopting, claim as a fact that we all share a common ancestor with a tree," he said.

McLeroy has served as a member of the TBE since 1998. He will relinquish the title of "chairman" in 2009, one year before his term as representative expires.

Martin Wise, adjunct professor of biology at ACC, expressed concern at the appointment.

"I'm worried that this person might be applying personal religious beliefs an area where it shouldn't be applied," he said. "These are not necessarily areas that are within the realm of religion."

Wise said that a creationist can make an effective member of the Board of Education and that he presents the ideas of Genesis and creationism in his class, but there "isn't a whole lot to present."

"There is no question that evolution has happened. Understanding the process by which evolution takes place is still open to question and that's what we're researching but that requires you to be of an open mind," he said. "There has to be some skepticism obviously, there should be, but we can't close the door on ideas."