Texas Fires Science Chief for Too Much Interest in Science
Once upon a time, Chris Comer was a middle school science teacher. Then, almost a decade ago, she became the director of science curriculum at the Texas Education Agency, a job she was forced to resign this month . What happened? Well, in the last ten years the Goddies figured out a way ("intelligent" design) to get their religious world view taught in science classes, and they were afraid Chris might stand in their way.
On October 23, Comer got an email from a "left wing" science organization called the National Center for Science Education (which does all these pinko activities aimed at teaching evolution in science classes) promoting a talk in Austin by Barbara Forest on her book Inside Creationism's Trojan Horse , a history of the "intelligent" design movement. She forwarded that email to people with the message "FYI."
Two hours later, Lizzette Reynolds, former deputy legislative director for then-Governor W. and former Bush appointee at the US Department of Education, forwarded that email to Chris Comer's bosses with the message:
"This is highly inappropriate. I believe this is an offense that calls for termination or, at the very least, reassignment of responsibilities. This is something that the State Board, the Governor's Office and members of the Legislature would be extremely upset to see because it assumes this is a subject that the agency supports."
Lizzette joined the TEA in January, by the way, as the senior adviser on statewide initiatives. That wouldn't seem to have much, if anything, to do with Chris's department, except insofar as the board of education is reviewing the state's science curriculum in January and it's expected that the creationists will have a run at getting themselves into that curriculum.
But, really, she was immediately placed on administrative leave and effectively fired in less than a month because she was insubordinate and inappropriate - it has nothing to so with trying to teach religious theory in science classes. Plus, everyone hates fucking forwarded emails.
Texas official resigns, cites creationism conflict [USA Today]
Texas education official forced to resign over evolution [National Center for Science Education]
State science curriculum director resigns [Austin-American Statesman]