Professor's Snub of Creationists Prompts U.S. Inquiry

New York Times ^ | 2/02/03 | NICK MADIGAN

[kattracks]

UBBOCK, Tex., Feb. 2 — A biology professor who insists that his students accept the tenets of human evolution has found himself the subject of Justice Department scrutiny.

Prompted by a complaint from the Liberty Legal Institute, a group of Christian lawyers, the department is investigating whether Michael L. Dini, an associate professor of biology at Texas Tech University here, discriminated against students on the basis of religion when he posted a demand on his Web site that students wanting a letter of recommendation for postgraduate studies "truthfully and forthrightly affirm a scientific answer" to the question of how the human species originated.

"The central, unifying principle of biology is the theory of evolution," Dr. Dini wrote. "How can someone who does not accept the most important theory in biology expect to properly practice in a field that is so heavily based on biology?"

That was enough for the lawyers' group, based in Plano, a Dallas suburb, to file a complaint on behalf of a 22-year-old Texas Tech student, Micah Spradling.

Mr. Spradling said he sat in on two sessions of Dr. Dini's introductory biology class and shortly afterward noticed the guidelines on the professor's Web site (www2.tltc.ttu.edu/dini/Personal/letters.htm).

Mr. Spradling said that given the professor's position, there was "no way" he would have enrolled in Dr. Dini's class or asked him for a recommendation to medical school.

"That would be denying my faith as a Christian," said Mr. Spradling, a junior raised in Lubbock who plans to study prosthetics and orthotics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. "They've taken prayer out of schools and the Ten Commandments out of courtrooms, so I thought I had an opportunity to make a difference."

In an interview in his office, Dr. Dini pointed to a computer screen full of e-mail messages and said he felt besieged.

"The policy is not meant in any way to be discriminatory toward anyone's beliefs, but instead to ensure that people who I recommend to a medical school or a professional school or a graduate school in the biomedical sciences are scientists," he said. "I think science and religion address very different types of questions, and they shouldn't overlap."

Dr. Dini, who said he had no intention of changing his policy, declined to address the question of his own faith. But university officials and several students who support him say he is a religious man.

"He's a devout Catholic," said Greg Rogers, 36, a pre-med student from Lubbock. "He's mentioned it in discussion groups."

Mr. Rogers, who returned to college for a second degree and who said his beliefs aligned with Dr. Dini's, added: "I believe in God and evolution. I believe that evolution was the tool that brought us about. To deny the theory of evolution is, to me, like denying the law of gravity. In science, a theory is about as close to a fact as you can get."

Another student, Brent Lawlis, 21, from Midland, Tex., said he hoped to become an orthopedic surgeon and had had no trouble obtaining a letter of recommendation from Dr. Dini. "I'm a Christian, but there's too much biological evidence to throw out evolution," he said.

But other students waiting to enter classes Friday morning said they felt that Dr. Dini had stepped over the line. "Just because someone believes in creationism doesn't mean he shouldn't give them a recommendation," said Lindsay Otoski, 20, a sophomore from Albuquerque who is studying nursing. "It's not fair."

On Jan. 21, Jeremiah Glassman, chief of the Department of Justice's civil rights division, told the university's general counsel, Dale Pat Campbell, that his office was looking into the complaint, and asked for copies of the university's policies on letters of recommendation.

David R. Smith, the Texas Tech chancellor, said on Friday afternoon that the university, a state institution with almost 30,000 students and an operating budget of $845 million, had no such policy and preferred to leave such matters to professors.

In a letter released by his office, Dr. Smith noted that there were 38 other faculty members who could have issued Mr. Spradling a letter of recommendation, had he taken their classes. "I suspect there are a number of them who can and do provide letters of recommendation to students regardless of their ability to articulate a scientific answer to the origin of the human species," Dr. Smith wrote.

Members of the Liberty Legal Institute, who specialize in litigating what they call religious freedom cases, said their complaint was a matter of principle.

"There's no problem with Dr. Dini saying you have to understand evolution and you have to be able to describe it in detail," said Kelly Shackelford, the group's chief counsel, "but you can't tell students that they have to hold the same personal belief that you do."

Mr. Shackelford said that he would await the outcome of the Justice Department investigation but that the next step would probably be to file a suit against the university.

[TightSqueeze]

If someone believes that automobiles are delivered by fairies in the middle of the night, that makes them no less capable of understanding the working mechanics of one and being fully capable of doing first-rate repair work.

True enough, still, by believing that automobiles are delivered by fairies... Could lead to tragic consequences. For instance, there is a natural tendency, that when the going gets tough, people generally fall back on what they believe. I doubt that this type of a belief would be a good foundation for the investigation of structural failure, one might conclude the problem was a lack of pixie dust.

[VadeRetro]

Skepticism is critical to the advancement of science.

So the phlogiston theory of combustion should never die? So alchemy needs to be taught alongside chemistry? How about astrology alongside astronomy?

There's skepticism and there are those who just will not see the evidence. Creationism is the science of "You can't make me see!"

[Always Right]

If I don't want to recommend you because you have a funny scalp disease, it's my business. And if I tell the whole bloody world that I don't recommend anyone with funny scalp diseases, you have notice and so does the prospective medical school. So go to someone else for a recommendation and leave me alone. I just don't get this whole victim mentality that's being preached here.

It is not his 'business' since we have anti-discrimination laws. If Dini wants to create a private club and not allow people who do not accept the origin of humans through evolution, then that would be his business. But as a state employee who influences who gets into medical schools and who doesn't, such practice should be illegal. BTW, who is preaching to you.

[f.Christian]

Don't forget to factor in (( factor out the time )) the fact . . .

that after the precambrian 'lower' layers were formed and the cambrian began to form above it . .. . .. .

opposite layers would be still forming underneath at the same time as new layers were being formed above - - -

not at the slower rate that evolution presupposes via 'erosian' either !

[Always Right]

So the phlogiston theory of combustion should never die? So alchemy needs to be taught alongside chemistry? How about astrology alongside astronomy?

Nobody is suggesting that. But why couldn't an otherwise brilliant person who happens to believe in astology be denied the opportunity to study astronomy? That's what we are talking about here. Believing in creationism has absolutely nothing to do with being a fine doctor.

[atlaw]

"I may just be a lowly engineer, but I think I have more sense than Dini, who seems to lack good judgement."

I guess that's really the crux of the issue. Do you hold someone legally liable for damages (or, as has been suggested on this thread, legally liable and punishable with jail time) for perceived lack of good judgment. That's not only a flimsy reed, it's a dangerous one. What happens when the majority finds you lacking in judgment?

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Fearful of the economic marginalization of the slack-jawed droolers of the YEC right, eh?

Don't worry, you and your progeny will have a fine future in janitorial services, insurance sales, real estate sales, and anything where there is no real demand for scientific knowledge or methods. Of course, you will be relegated to the bottom layers of the economy, but I can't really say I care.

[general_re]

The test of what happened will be whether Dini changes his policy. I predict he won't.

I agree.

And then, I think you should win the bet.

I agree. ;)

[atlaw]

"BTW, who is preaching to you."

No one. Sorry. Hyperbole you know.

[f.Christian]

I've seen every bug eyed evolutionist staring off at every canyon -- mountain -- bug .. .. ..

thinking // believing how it all grew out of a washed out mudball === looney !

[VadeRetro]

... why couldn't an otherwise brilliant person who happens to believe in astology be denied the opportunity to study astronomy?

The question is whether someone already exposed to the basics of astronomy and in absurd denial thereof needs a seat in a graduate program for astrophysics.

"Pearls before swine" and all that. There are only so many slots.

[f.Christian]

The swine are engineering the feed lot // slots !

[Always Right]

Don't worry, you and your progeny will have a fine future in janitorial services, insurance sales, real estate sales, and anything where there is no real demand for scientific knowledge or methods. Of course, you will be relegated to the bottom layers of the economy, but I can't really say I care.

Thank you for bringing personal insults to an otherwise civil thread. I am doing quite well for myself and have been in that evil top 1% income of income earners for the last few years. But thank you for your concern, and I hope you are doing as well as I.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Quite well, thank you, and I've long been at that level.

Donate generously to whoever is feeding you this drivel - there's lots more of me than there are of you, and you're a dying ideology.

Future generations of Americans really need some rabid ideologues to laugh at.

[Always Right]

I guess that's really the crux of the issue. Do you hold someone legally liable for damages (or, as has been suggested on this thread, legally liable and punishable with jail time) for perceived lack of good judgment.

I would not like to see the university or the professor lose anything over this. But I don't think it is appropriate for a state university to stand behind such a policy.

[Always Right]

Donate generously to whoever is feeding you this drivel - there's lots more of me than there are of you, and you're a dying ideology.

When did I ever state my ideology? And what got your panties in such a bind tonight?

[f.Christian]

rabid ideologues .. . .. . .. theists ?

[atlaw]

But ... You seem to be suggesting that Dini, as a professor at a state funded University, must tow the line and recuse his personal judgment in favor of the prevailing popular sentiment. Must he be compelled to recommend for advancement those with whom he disagrees adamently? Are we to ask our scientists at state universities to behave strictly in accordance with the latest opinion poll, and to write personal recommendations for anyone who regurgitates the latest popular view or by golly go to jail? I don't know, it just seems to me that, whether you are drawing a check from the state or not, you should be entitled to your own brain and your own opinions about the worth of an idea. Otherwise, we're right smack dab into state thought control.

[f.Christian]

Evolution is a religion // cult - - - science is 'neutral' !

[valleygal]

kittymyrib said, "Now that requires much more faith than I can muster.

And you replied, No doubt. Alternatively, you might try a little knowledge

So people who believe in creation and not evolution are ignorant, maybe stupid, in your eyes.?

I believe, the commander of the space shuttle, Rick Husband, was a devout Christian...perhaps he even believed in the creation theory. Wait, no, he couldn't have, because then he wouldn't have been a man of science.