Posted on 04/24/2009 8:47:19 PM PDT by DevNet
Apparently, the briefs were written by the ICR’s own James J.S. Johnson, whom FindLaw describes as a “family lawyer.” Mr. Johnson is not listed in Martindale-Hubbell (which is where you should go to read peer reviews on anyone you’re thinking of hiring as a lawyer), but he does write some crazy, crazy stuff for ICR’s website. (ICR’s local counsel in Texas seems to be the firm of Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C., but they do not appear to be actively involved in the litigation so far.)
I should add that “family law” generally means as “divorce law,” and in general, I would not trust a divorce lawyer to bring a sec. 1983 compliant in federal court, any more than I would feel qualified to represent someone in divorce proceedings. There are very few hard-and-fast specialties in the law (with the exception of people like bankruptcy lawyers, who have their own bar and own courts) — so this isn’t unethical or illegal, but it is very, very weird. If you called me up and asked me to incorporate your business in Delaware or represent you at a custody hearing, I would very politely refer you to one of my colleagues who actually does that sort of work for a living. It’s not like we have a shortage of lawyers in this country or anything. :)
With that in mind, the first thing that strikes me about the complaint is the bizarre, blog-like use of bold, italics, underline, large and small caps, different fonts and different font sizes — all in the first two pages. No sensible litigator would file something that looks like this in federal court.
(Excerpt) Read more at evaluatingchristianity.wordpress.com ...
YECs believe in lawyers? Aren’t lawyers proof of Evolution, one step backwards?
Is there an objective point to this article, besides desperately trying to find some excuse to bash creationists? When you are complaining about font types and sizes rather than content, you’ve lost the debate.
And evolution is science? Yeah, right. Pseudo science, maybe.
Lawyers are evidence of mutation. But, I wouldn’t call it beneficial.
Is evolution mentioned in the actual article?
Wow, I just read though the article. For ranting and raving it wins a gold medal. For actually providing a discernable argument it fails utterly. ICR won in Federal court when California tried to do the same thing some years back, so one would expect they know exactly what to do to win again. This critic is going to look very foolish, I expect.
It goes to show that their lawyers and *scientists* have approximately the same level of skills in their respective areas of *expertise*
It doesn’t matter. Everything they dislike is tied to evolution in some way shape or form.
The person at the burger joint doesn’t get their order right? You guessed it - it is the fault of their science teacher for teaching them evolution.
Dear ICR Friends:
The Institute for Creation Research Graduate School (ICRGS) has filed two lawsuits against the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) defendants as of Thursday, April 16. Commissioner Raymund Paredes was formally served at his offices in Austin yesterday afternoon.
Many of you will remember the intense efforts ICR made to respond to the THECB demands related to ICRGS’s application to grant degrees in Texas, even after the Commissioner formally rejected the recommendations for approval from his own Site Team and Advisory Committee, and then denied ICRGS the right to move its Science Education Master’s degree program to Texas.
As you read through the press release below that was sent out to the national media, please remember to pray with us that the Lord will receive honor to His name through all of this.
ICR has agreed to accept this challenge because of the blatant misuse of power—and because, if successful, the THECB (and other government agencies) will feel empowered to undermine and potentially destroy Christian institutions that take a strong stand on the authority of Scripture—especially those institutions that attempt to negate any of the ”idols” of evolutionary humanism.
Much of the focus of our world today is on “science”—and its endorsement of godless activities like abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, sanctioned promiscuity, legal pornography, no-fault divorce, genetically engineered babies, and same-sex “marriage.” The list seems endless.
Today, science attempts to provide a “rationale” for such wickedness. Tomorrow, science—“back in its rightful place” (as Barack Obama said in his inaugural speech)—will further its attack against “religion,” led by well-placed spokesmen like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and others whose hatred for Christianity is seething out everywhere.
Of course, the real battle is a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12), with the enemy’s ruthless “roar” (1 Peter 5:8) trying to shout down the absolute truth that the Lord Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
Thanks for reading through this. Thanks for praying for us. Please remember to intercede for us as often as the Holy Spirit brings ICR to your mind. Blessings.
Henry M. Morris III
Institute for Creation Research
Chief Executive Officer
Graduate School Sues Texas Agency Over Academic Discrimination
Contact: Lawrence Ford, Director of Communications, Institute for Creation Research (ICRGS), 214-615-8398, press@icr.org
DALLAS, April 21 /Christian Newswire/ – The Institute for Creation Research Graduate School (ICRGS), a California-based science education institution established in 1981, has filed suit in both federal and Texas state courts against the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), its commissioner, and some of its board members, for interfering with the constitutional rights of ICRGS in its application to move the school to Texas.
Named as defendants in the suits are THECB Commissioner Raymund A. Paredes, Lyn Bracewell Phillips, Joe B. Hinton, Elaine Mendoza, Laurie Bricker, A. W. "Whit" Riter III, Brenda Pejovich, and Robert Shepard, in both their individual and official capacities, for discriminating against the private school's academic and religious viewpoint.
ICRGS additionally names as defendant in the state lawsuit the THECB agency itself, which has a prior record of abusing the constitutional rights of other private educational institutions in the state, as determined by the Texas Supreme Court in 2007.
Since 1981 ICRGS has offered the Master of Science degree in biology, astro-geophysics, geology, and science education, and recently consolidated its four majors into a single Science Education major on a predominately distance educational platform, except for required science labs and/or field studies. Since its inception, ICRGS faculty members have been highly credentialed science professionals with terminal degrees from such schools as UCLA, Harvard, UC Berkeley, and other competent institutions, along with noted experience in science research at top private and government laboratories in the United States.
In fall 2007, the THECB Site Evaluation Team and Advisory Committee recommended approval of the ICRGS application to grant degrees in the state of Texas. However, both agency recommendations were subsequently rejected by Commissioner Paredes after evolution-only activists pressured the commissioner to deny ICRGS a degree-granting license in the state.
After twice convening ex parte advisory committees of his choosing (both of which included no committee advisors with special competence in the private sector Christian education school market served by ICRGS), Commissioner Paredes recommended on April 23, 2008, that the THECB deny a Certificate of Authority to ICRGS, which the voting members did on April 24, 2008.
Since June 2008, ICRGS has worked through the administrative appeal process with the THECB, and the controversy is pending in the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
ICRGS is a private, non-profit graduate school that receives no state or federal funding.
For inquiries, contact the ICR Press Office at 214-615-8398 or write to press@icr.org.
i don’t even have a law degree and i thought their complaint was insane. this guy’s analysis only confirms it.
i cannot really imagine this suit going very far. i wonder if the news will be posted by you know whom when it breaks. i somehow doubt it.
So this is about an issue of TRUST? Look where that scientific methodology has brought this nation. And somebody wants to rant about who not to TRUST? There are some credibility issues with the results of Science Education.
What do you mean my *that scientific methodology has brought this nation*?
I rather enjoy all that technology has brought this nation - our high level of technology allows us to have the strongest most powerful military in the history of the planet
How is that a bad thing?
Anyone with any knowledge of the law knows that the arguments are excellent. The lawyer who wrote the complaint doesn't understand some very, very basic legal concepts such as when a statute of limitations starts to run and whether or not you can enjoin someone to do something.
Ironically, you typed that on a computer, hooked up to the internet.
Here is how ICR has functioned in the past.
How the ICR got its accreditation
By Timothy Sandefur on March 29, 2004 5:42 PM
http://pandasthumb.org/archives/2004/03/how-the-icr-got.html
I take back my comments re: enjoining, the author of the blog was incorrect.
Thank you - will read later.
I’m appalled. I want to report a hate crime.
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