LHS teacher to stop referencing creationism in science class, district says

A Libertyville High School teacher who had been referencing creationism in a unit on evolution no longer will do so, officials said Friday.

Additionally, Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 officials have taken steps “to ensure that all science teachers are not referencing or teaching creationism,” spokeswoman Mary Todoric said.

The teacher, a 22-year veteran of the school, was investigated after a complaint was made about his lessons during Monday’s 128 board meeting.

Activist Rob Sherman told the board a student in the class had approached him about the matter. He asked officials to investigate, which they promptly did.

On Friday, Sherman — an atheist who has crusaded for the constitutionally enforced separation of religion and government — said he doesn’t mind if creationism is taught in a public school’s mythology class. However, creationism is not science, he said.

That’s what the U.S. Supreme Court has said, too. It has ruled public school teachers cannot teach creationism alongside evolution in science classes because it would serve as an endorsement of religion or a particular religious belief.