By Brian Kelly
Herald Writer
MARYSVILLE — Roger DeHart, the biology teacher who created a national name for himself and considerable controversy in public schools by teaching a form of creationism, is resigning from Marysville-Pilchuck High School at the end of the school year.
DeHart will take a job as a biology teacher at a Christian school in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
"I’m looking forward to the school, from what I’ve seen, the faculty, and the environment," DeHart said.
In the same manner that he arrived, DeHart’s departure was under the radar, almost unnoticed by district officials. The school board accepted his resignation Monday, at the same time it approved four other resignations, eight retirements and 13 leaves of absence.
DeHart did not create controversy in Marysville — there were no complaints about him, according to the district — but it followed him from Skagit County, where he taught biology at Burlington-Edison High School for 14 years.
On the 10 days each semester that he devoted to teaching evolution, he spent one day talking about "intelligent design" theory. But that was enough to prompt an ongoing fight with the school board and the ACLU.
Intelligent design splits from the mainstream scientific view that Darwinian natural selection and random genetic mutations led to life on earth. Intelligent design argues that evolution does not fully account for the complexity and diversity of life — that these were the result of the work of an "intelligent designer." To some, that means God.
DeHart quit his job there in summer 2000 after he was told to teach earth science instead of biology.
DeHart was hired in Marysville in August 2001 as a high school biology teacher. District officials vowed to scrutinize DeHart’s teaching materials and curriculum. He taught one semester of biology and physical science (chemistry and physics), and a second semester of physical science.
DeHart declined to talk at length about his time in Marysville. But he said the reaction after his arrival was unanticipated.
"Even though I laid my cards on the table before I was hired, and I was up front on who I was and the controversy, I didn’t anticipate the reaction that I received at first," he said. "But knowing the subject matter and the topic, I don’t find it surprising."
He said the controversy wasn’t a "religion versus science" debate, but a battle over two different interpretations of scientific evidence on the origins of human life.
"I think when it’s framed in that manner then people say, ‘Well why can’t you present that in the public schools? What’s wrong with having that debate?’ As opposed to saying this is religion versus science. Everyone says, ‘Wait a minute; we can’t have religion in the public schools,’ " he said.
And when the argument is framed that way, it helps the majority of the scientific community that supports Darwinism. "Here is something they’ve spent their whole lives studying. They don’t want to face the possibility they may not be correct," DeHart said.
You can call Herald Writer Brian Kelly at 425-339-3422 or send e-mail to kelly@heraldnet.com.
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