INDIANA — A federal judge has ruled that Indiana’s requirement to teach the theory of evolution in high school does not breach state or federal constitutional provisions.
On Friday, Judge Sarah Evans Barker dismissed a lawsuit against the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation and state education officials.
The lawsuit, filed in May 2023 by Jennifer and Jason Reinoehl, parents of five children in the Mishawaka-based district, contended that the state’s mandate to include evolution in high school curricula infringes on the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The Reinoehls argued that aspects of evolutionary theory, including the Big Bang theory and the fossil record, have been debunked and promote atheistic viewpoints.
The Reinoehls claimed that teaching evolution in schools effectively supports atheism by challenging the Judeo-Christian creation narrative.
Judge Barker dismissed these claims, ruling that Indiana’s science education standards do not constitute an endorsement of any particular religion. She noted that the similarities between evolutionary theory and atheism do not violate the Establishment Clause, which does not prohibit government actions that may align with certain religious beliefs.
“Despite Plaintiffs’ assertions to the contrary, the purported similarities between evolution and atheism do not render the teaching of evolution in public schools violative of the Establishment Clause,” Barker stated.
