Publication Date
Fall 11-20-2019
School
Helms School of Government
Major
International Relations
Keywords
religion, legislation, science education, Edwards v. Aguillard, Louisiana
Disciplines
Education Law | Religion Law | Science and Mathematics Education | Secondary Education
Recommended Citation
McDonough, Abigail, "The Impact of Edwards v. Aguillard on Science Education in Louisiana Public Schools" (2019). Senior Honors Theses. 919.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/919
Abstract
The landmark Louisiana case Edwards v. Aguillard ushered in a new era of legislation in which certain ideas are discriminated against because of their religious basis. Due to the Court’s misinterpretation of evidence and employment of a faulty test for a secular purpose, the Court is responsible for disastrous and far-reaching implications. This thesis will examine how the 1987 Supreme Court case Aguillard shifted American science education away from the exploration of multiple competing theories of man’s origins in the classroom. Although America was founded on principles such as freedom of religion and thought which should be protected, the Aguillard decision led to the secularization of science education. Had the Court utilized the principles articulated in Scalia’s dissent, American schoolchildren would receive a more complete and balanced science education today.
Included in
Education Law Commons, Religion Law Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons, Secondary Education Commons
