The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

The recent firing of part-time, probationary Sisters High School biology teacher Kris Helphinstine has split the Sisters community.

Helphinstine was called on the carpet for supplementing "Biology B" textbook curriculum with two PowerPoint presentations: one was about Eugenics; the other about the general theory of evolution. He additionally distributed supplementary materials that discussed natural selection from the Web site http://www.AnswersinGenesis.org (see sidebar).

Some district residents feel the board acted in the best interests of district students when it fired Helphinstine on the spot after a 90-minute closed executive session on Monday night, March 19.

"I was satisfied with the process.... I felt we were listened to," said parent Susanna Harrison. From Harrison's viewpoint the information Helphinstine presented "had nothing to do with science. ... There's no place for it in a public school."

Other residents fault the board for acting hastily.

"This decision was based on a few individuals having a fear of their children learning to assess information that they may disagree with," said Lisa Woodworth.

The board's action not only resulted in the firing of Helphinstine, it also overturned Sisters High School Principal Bob Macauley's handling of the situation five days earlier on Thursday, March 15.

After first meeting with parents and later meeting with Helphinstine and Helphinstine's immediate supervisor, biology teacher Glen Herron, Macauley authored a six-step resolution process that included a "parent/student evening" at 7 p.m., on April 3, that was to be hosted by Helphinstine.

In concluding his remarks Macauley wrote: "This is our immediate and best foot forward to getting back on track with your child's biology education. The majority of content has been correct and well presented: speciation, gene pool, adaptation, mutation, natural selection, allelic frequency, geographic isolation, and natural selection. The general theory of evolution has been the focus of concern and is being addressed."

School board vice-chairman Steve Rudinsky - who opposed the firing but was outvoted 3-1 - agrees that it is important for the board to proceed deliberately and conduct a thorough investigation before making a decision.

"This issue inspires great passion on both sides," he said.

School board members came to Monday night's meeting in the face of parental outcry in a district already faced with the likelihood of being docked $1.2 million in state funds from a homeschool program it conducted between 1999 and 2004 at Sonrise Christian School, now renamed Sisters Christian Academy. That program was ruled illegitimate by the Oregon Department of Education (see related story, page 3).

Prior to Monday night's meeting, board members received an e-mail from their former board colleague Rob Corrigan, who abruptly tendered his resignation two months ago.

"I personally would advise swift fact-finding and appropriate intervention before this one blows up in the district's face," Corrigan wrote. "Sisters needs another controversial legal challenge like we each need a ball and chain. Speaking as one concerned citizen, however, if the district where I pay taxes and my children attend school chooses to make itself a target, I would regrettably find myself signing with the plaintiffs in such a suit," he said.

District resident John Miller thinks the board reacted under heavy pressure to fire Helphinstine.

"The thing that bothers me is that this did not go through the normal administrative process because Rob Corrigan got involved. ... He's out there using fear and intimidation and threats to try to force the board to do something," Miller said.

Harrison, who supports the board's action, would like the board to go one step further and provide assurances that such a situation does not happen in the district in the future.

"A new teacher, perhaps, needs to be monitored to some extent. I am sure there would be parents who would be happy to form a committee to go into those classrooms ... that would be a remedy that wouldn't cost the district a thing," she said.

Two weeks before he was fired for inappropriately introducing creationism and Intelligent Design materials into his classroom, Sisters High School Principal Bob Macaulay hired Kris Helphinstine to teach a beginning biology class to freshmen and sophomores.

At the beginning of his second week on the job, Helphinstine allegedly stepped beyond the boundaries of the accepted curriculum, first by presenting an article that used poodles to discuss the theory of artificial selection as opposed to natural selection.

The article was authored by Ken Ham, a noted advocate for the literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis and president of Answers in Genesis USA and Joint CEO of Answers in Genesis International.

The article titled "Did God create poodles?" is available online at Ham's Web site answersingenesis.org. Before giving the article to students, Helphinstine edited it by removing all religious references and retitling it "...Poodles...?" Helphinstine, however, did not delete the source for the article, http://www.answersingenesis.org, from the handout he gave to students.

About his intent in presenting the supplementary material to his students, Helphinstine said: "By encouraging critical thinking I'm encouraging scientific inquiry."

Helphinstine also asked students to read and discuss "Muddy Waters - Clarifying the confusion about natural selection" by Carl Wieland. Wieland is the Managing Director of Creation Ministries International. The source of his article is also the Answers in Genesis Web site.

Helphinstine also presented two PowerPoint presentations to his students.

One covered the history and evolution of eugenics. According to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, "Eugenics is a social philosophy which advocates the improvement of human hereditary traits through various forms of intervention."

During his presentation Helphinstine showed students a collage of four images that included the national emblem of Nazi Germany that incorporates a swastika, a portrait of Charles Darwin, a photograph and Eugenics and Health Exhibition and a theoretical evolutionary chart. He also showed photographs of gas chambers and corpses of victims in concentration camps, as well as a photograph of English scientist and cousin of Charles Darwin, Francis Galton.

Galton "was among the first to recognize the implications for mankind of Darwin's theory of evolution," Helphinstine's presentation told students. "Galton suspected that talent, character, intellect, etc. were all inherited from one's ancestors, as was any lack of these qualities."

Helphinstine also presented a graphic that read: "Eugenics...in America??? 'For instance, in (the early 1900s), compulsory sterilization for the mentally ill was legal in twenty-five countries. In the United States, the sterilization of the mentally ill had been practiced since 1907.'" Stefan Kuhl was the stated source for this quotation.

Helphinstine presented a 42-slide PowerPoint presentation, relating the strengths and weaknesses of the general theory of evolution in relation to human history through discussion and graphic images.

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) is clear about its position regarding the teaching of evolution, creationism and intelligent design:

"Schools may teach about explanations of life on earth, including religious ones (such as 'creationism'), in comparative religion or social studies classes. In science class, however, they may present only genuinely scientific critiques of, or evidence for, any explanation of life on earth, but not religious critiques (beliefs unverifiable by scientific methodology). ... Public schools must not teach as scientific fact or theory any religious doctrine, including 'creationism,' although any genuinely scientific evidence for or against any explanation of life may be taught."

The complete ODE position can be viewed at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/news/announcements/announcement.aspx?=852.

Admitting that he made some mistakes in how he presented materials to students, Helphinstine argues that he presented accurate scientific information.

"I did not teach creationism," he said.

When asked about his personal beliefs - if he is a Christian - Helphinstine did not answer directly, saying only that inaccurate assumptions have been made about him.

Concerning his experience with the Sisters School District, Helphinstine said: "I have had a great opportunity for feedback, especially about a sensitive topic. It is one of those things, I am learning, that you can never underestimate the sensitivity."