# Decision in Dover ID trial expected to come down tomorrow.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decision-in-dover-id-trial-expected-to-come-down-tomorrow/336353>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [December 19, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decision-in-dover-id-trial-expected-to-come-down-tomorrow/336353 "2005-12-19T21:40:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decision-in-dover-id-trial-expected-to-come-down-tomorrow/336353/101 "2005-12-21T08:37:08Z")

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> [@John Mace](#):
>
> There is no legal concept of academic freedom that allows public school teachers to ignore the curriculum requirements mandated by the school board. If a teacher ignores the required curriculum, I assume he would be fired.

So if a school board wanted to add to the curriculum that aliens visited Ancient Egypt or theories that the Holocaust never happened or the aether exists in the universe, a teacher could not refuse to teach it on the grounds that they are not proper history or physics?

I’m not talking about elementary teachers refusing to teach basic math (I know a few). If a school board comes up with required curricula that is unproven, untestable, or just plain wrong, would a teacher still have to teach it as a fact?

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**Author:** ![Tevildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tevildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tevildo)\
**Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decision-in-dover-id-trial-expected-to-come-down-tomorrow/336353/102 "2005-12-21T10:58:14Z")

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> [@SaintCad](#):
>
> I’m not talking about elementary teachers refusing to teach basic math (I know a few). If a school board comes up with required curricula that is unproven, untestable, or just plain wrong, would a teacher still have to teach it as a fact?

From Page 127 of the judgement (the Peterman memo):

“This request is based upon our considered opinion that reading the statement violates our responsibilities as professional educators as set forth in the Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators.”

So, yes, any teacher who had signed up to such a code would be obliged to refuse to teach such a curriculum. The Code referred to in the memo is exclusive to Pennsylvania, but I’m sure that other states have something similar.

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