Can a state or school district criminalize or otherwise punish the teaching of evolution in public schools?
No, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down an anti-evolution law in its 1968 decision Epperson v. Arkansas. The Court reasoned that such a law violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment. “The State’s undoubted right to prescribe the curriculum for its public schools does not carry with it the right to prohibit, on pain of criminal penalty, the teaching of a scientific theory or doctrine where that prohibition is based upon reasons that violate the First Amendment,” Justice Abe Fortas wrote for the Court.
Related Questions
- Can a state or school district criminalize or otherwise punish the teaching of evolution in public schools?
- Can a state or school district require that public schools give equal time to evolution and creationism?
- How do charter schools operate when free of traditional public school district and state regulations?
