Livingston -- Wait 'til Next Year?

2The Advocate.com is reporting that the Livingston Parish School Board is not going to push the issue of teaching Creationism this school year. That's nothing but a respite because as I read the rest of the Article I thought sanity might be breaking out -- but right at the end I think the Dover Trial Ghost is living in Louisiana.

While Tom Jones, the Board's attorney sounded reasonable, Keith Martin and David Tate, the Board President and a Board Member respectively, certainly do not. Martin says that he voted against teaching Creationism in 2008 because he was worried that teachers would inject their own religious views into the classroom. He also seems to think that Creationism has undergone some changes in recent years and that would make it more appropriate to teach. So what's going on in Mount Vernon Ohio right now has nothing to do with a Teacher injecting his own religious views onto his students? OK, that is Ohio not Louisiana, right?

Martin really needs to listen to the words his one of his own Board members. Tate said

"We don't want litigation, but shouldn't someone take a stand for Jesus and risk
litigation."

Isn't that Tate injecting his own beliefs into the fray even before the School Board committee reports back with a recommendation? Sure sounds like it to me.

Now you can see why I am concerned. The smoke has barely cleared from the Dover Trial and the same thing seems to be happening a little further South. Tate's comment reminds me of William Buckingham, former Board member of the Dover Area School District, who said [paraphrasing here]: '2000 years ago, a man died on a cross. Shouldn't we stand up for him now?' Of course he later denied his comments leading the Judge in that case to say in his ruling

"It is ironic that several of these individuals, who so staunchly and proudly
touted their religious convictions in public, would time and again lie to cover
their tracks and disguise the real purpose behind the ID Policy."

So is Livingston going to find itself on the losing end of costly litigation because of a school board member's religious beliefs? Sure seems to be heading in that direction. I wonder when the DI will chime in on this subject? They were so quick to respond to William Buckingham when some of his comments went public. Certainly something to watch for.