Thoughts in a Haystack

With that ringing endorsement of the ethics of the Dover Area School Board, Richard Nilsen, the Superintendent of the District, who worked to implement the Board’s decision to introduce the Intelligent Design Movement to students during public school science classes, let a little light onto his vision of his duties vis a vis the children during his testimony in the Federal Court trial on the Constitutionality of the Board’s policy. It seems that the Board’s attorney had "found no case law either way" on the propriety of what the Board intended to do and that was good enough to meet the standards of the Board and Administration as far as doing what is best for the children. And that was despite the fact that the Board attorney warned against the policy because the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unfavorably on school policies based on religious motivations.

Mr. Nilsen didn’t see any problem. He wasn’t bothered even after he had more than one discussion with Board member Alan Bonsell about "creationism" at meetings intended to deal with school issues (though Mr. Nilsen’s memory of those occasions is now surprisingly vague). Nor did he see any problem when the Principle of the Dover high school, Trudy Peterman, wrote that a school board member wanted to require that creationism be taught equally alongside evolution. He just thought she "exaggerated constantly". Even after June 2004, when school board member Bill Buckingham complained that a biology book recommended by the administration was "laced with Darwinism", Mr. Nilsen couldn’t see any problem. "All biology books are going to be full of Darwin's theory. I didn't understand his point," Nilsen said.

And, of course, he was "frustrated" by teachers who wanted to disassociate themselves from the statement to be read in biology class, presumably by their refusal to read it, forcing Nilsen to be the one to have to keep the straight face. They were apparently so unreasonable as to also ask for direction for how to handle the curriculum change.

In short, Mr. Nilsen had (and still has) his eyes resolutely screwed shut and was prepared to do whatever the Board wanted without complaint. Why not? After all, he was just following . . .