Larry Caldwell

Larry Caldwell, a pro-intelligent design activist and attorney, has been active in bringing litigation in causes supporting the intelligent design movement.

Though much smaller in scale than the intelligent design movement's other notable legal supporter, the Thomas More Law Center, the Caldwells had in 2005 brought no fewer than three separate lawsuits to further the intelligent design movement's agenda. Timothy Sandefur, a lawyer with a public interest legal organization and ID critic, writing on the Panda's Thumb described Caldwell as known for "his hair-trigger willingness to sue people for just about anything, in the cause of ID creationism." [ [http://www.pandasthumb.org/archives/2005/10/a_caldwell_lega.html A Caldwell Legal Victory? Well, Not Quite (Updated)] , Timothy Sandefur, Panda's Thumb, October 26, 2005] Caldwell's friends, on the other hand, describe him as "measured, methodical and principled". [ [http://dwb.sacbee.com/content/community_news/roseville/story/13657278p-14500102c.html Dad expands science quest] , Kim Minugh, Sacramento Bee, October 2, 2005.]

Legal threats and lawsuits

Caldwell, and his wife Jeanne Caldwell, of Roseville, California, operate as Quality Science Education for All (QSEA). He describes his goals as challenging evolution as currently taught in public schools using what he calls the Quality Science Education method, which would, in his words, teach "some of the scientific weaknesses of evolution," to teach about evolution in a manner he views as covering it "objectively, not dogmatically." [ [http://www.salvomag.com/new/articles/salvo4/IDcaldwell.php Salvo Magazine: ID - A Primer - Salvo 4 ] ] The phrase "scientific weaknesses of evolution" was described by National Center for Science Education (NCSE) director Eugenie Scott as part of a progression of anti-evolution attempts to eliminate or minimise the teaching of evolution: ["Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction", Eugenie C. Scott, Niles Eldredge, ISBN 0520246500, p218] quotation|When textbooks include evolution, antievolutionists are motivated to modify them to either delete or water down evolution (as happened during the post-Scopes era), or "balance" it with "alternatives to evolution" (including creationism) or, most recently, to present evolution and the "scientific weaknesses of evolution." This phrase has been used by the Discovery Institute in their intelligent design campaigns‎ [ [http://www.evolutionnews.org/2008/01/attacks_on_intelligent_design.html Attacks on Intelligent Design Enabled by Biased Media] , Robert Crowther, January 21, 2008] and was used in the late 1980s by Paul Ellwanger, drafter of the creationist "balanced treatment" laws in Arkansas and Louisiana. [ [http://www.natcenscied.org/resources/articles/9421_issue_23_volume_8_number_2__7_30_2003.asp#Paul%20Ellwanger%20Strikes%20Again Paul Ellwanger Strikes Again] , "Creation/Evolution", Issue 23 (Volume 8, Number 2 - Spring 1988)]

In the spring of 2005 he sued Scott and the NCSE, alleging that she and the NCSE made false claims in an article she published in California Wild, [ [http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/articles/8521_in_my_backyard_creationism_in_8_18_2005.asp In My Backyard: Creationism in California] , Eugenie Scott, "California Wild", Spring 2005 — annotated to show later corrections.] the magazine of the California Academy of Sciences.

The suit claimed that Scott misstated that Larry Caldwell had proposed the names of two creationist books to his local school board and that Scott incorrectly stated the date of the Georgia evolution disclaimers and misspelled a party's last name. The suit was abandoned by Caldwell. According to Scott, she was never served with papers for the suit. [ [http://www.pandasthumb.org/archives/2005/09/nuisance-lawsui.html Nuisance Lawsuit Against Scott and NCSE Withdrawn] , Eugenie Scott, The Pandas Thumb, September 14, 2005] This event was seized upon by the organization driving the intelligent design movement, the Discovery Institute, to discredit their opponents, the NCSE and Scott. [ [http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&program=CSC%20-%20Views%20and%20News&id=2684 Libel Claim Over Evolution Article Settled by California Academy of Science] , Larry Caldwell, Discovery Institute] The Caldwells and the Discovery Institute have collaborated on a number of occasions on other projects related to the movement.

In Januuary 2005 Caldwell filed suit in California federal court claiming that he was unconstitutionally denied access to various forums to promote his "Quality Science Education" proposals. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20051016/ai_n15804387 Evolution skeptics sue UC Berkeley] , Josh Richman, Oakland Tribune, Oct 16, 2005] In "Caldwell v. Roseville Joint Union High School District" Caldwell alleged free speech, establishment clause, due process and equal protection violations because his proposals were not placed on the School Board's agenda, his complaints about the school district's biology textbook were rejected, and his proposals were not placed on the agenda of the Curriculum Instruction Team in his chlidren's high school. In September 2007 the California federal district court dismissed Caldwell's suit. [ [http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/376367.html Judge tosses out evolution lawsuit, September 13, 2007] ] In granting summary judgment to the school district, the court emphasized that "this case is not about whether a theory of intelligent design can or should be included in the science curriculum.... Rather, this case is about whether Larry Caldwell was denied access to speak in various fora or participate in certain processes because of his actual or perceived religious beliefs." [ [http://www2.ncseweb.org/caldwell/20070907_Caldwell_v_Roseville_JUHSD_decision.pdf Caldwell vs Roseville NO. CIV. S-05-0061 FCD JFM September 17, 2007] ] Caldwell received material assistance with his efforts with the school district's board from the Discovery Institute's Cornelius Hunter.

Also in October 2005 Caldwell filed suit in federal court against the University of California, Berkeley, claiming their website "Understanding Evolution" [ [http://evolution.berkeley.edu/ Understanding Evolution] ] violated separation of church and state by linking to sites which claim that religious faith is compatible with evolution. In March, 2006 the court granted the school's motion to dismiss the suit on the basis that the plaintiffs failed to establish that they suffered any restriction of their freedom of speech or religion. [ [http://www2.ncseweb.org/caldwell/20070907_Caldwell_v_Roseville_JUHSD_decision.pdf Caldwell vs Roseville] , NO. CIV. S-05-0061 FCD JFM September 17, 2007] [ [http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2006/03/15_evolution.shtml Court dismisses lawsuit targeting evolution website] , Robert Sanders, UC Berkeley News, 15 March 2006] In October 2008, Caldwell's appeal wa denied. [cite news | url=http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/news/2008/CA/562_appeal_of_understanding_evolut_10_6_2008.asp | title=Appeal of Understanding Evolution lawsuit dismissed | publisher=National Center for Science Education |date= October 6, 2008 | first= | last= | accessdate =2008-10-17]

References

External links

* [http://www.sacbee.com/content/community_news/roseville/story/13657278p-14500102c.html Article profiling Larry Caldwell] in The Sacramento Bee
* [http://www.salvomag.com/new/articles/salvo4/IDcaldwell.php Essay by Caldwell explaining his motives] in Salvo Magazine