Libertyville teacher keeps job in creationism flap

A Libertyville High School science teacher who admitted talking about creationism during lessons about evolution will not lose his job, officials decided Tuesday night.

The teacher, 22-year veteran Beau Schaefer, has been told to keep creationism out of his class, Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 Superintendent Prentiss Lea said before the school board approved a “notice of remediation” in the matter. The other science teachers at Libertyville and Vernon Hills high schools have received the same order to avoid creationism, officials have said.

Although neither Lea nor the board referred to Schaefer by name during the meeting at Vernon Hills High, the superintendent said the teacher's actions are “remediable” and not serious enough for the board to consider firing him. The board discussed the matter in closed session before voting.

But Lea also stressed that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled teaching creationism in public-school science classes is against the law and therefore is inappropriate.

“Regardless of our professional or personal opinions on this matter, there is no gray area,” Lea said.

Lea's remarks were followed by comments from audience members about the controversy. Some supported Schaeffer's efforts to use creationism in the classroom and others opposed them.

Several speakers got applause from a sizable pro-creationism group in the audience.

Among them was the Rev. Richard Valkanet, senior pastor at the Living Waters Assembly of God Church in Grayslake. Evolution is “bankrupt,” Valkanet said.

“No one can prove that Genesis I is wrong,” he added.

Among the speakers on the other side was Libertyville resident Duncan Millar, who has a daughter in Schaefer's class. He objected to creationism being taught and asked for Schaefer to be fired.

“My daughter has been devastated by this,” he said.

The controversy arose Feb. 28 when Buffalo Grove activist Rob Sherman told the board he'd heard Schaefer was talking about creationism in class and including the belief on quizzes. Sherman — an atheist who has crusaded for the constitutionally enforced separation of religion and government — asked the board and administrators to investigate, which they did.

Days later, district officials confirmed Schaefer had been referencing or teaching creationism. The district took steps to ensure that wouldn't happen again in any science class at Libertyville or Vernon Hills high schools, spokeswoman Mary Todoric said at the time. Todoric did not elaborate on the nature of those steps, nor did she say if Schaefer faced disciplinary action for his activities.

The Supreme Court has ruled public-school teachers cannot teach creationism alongside evolution in science classes because doing so would serve as an endorsement of religion or a particular religious belief.