Legal Definitions - anti-evolution statute

An anti-evolution statute is a type of law that historically prohibited or severely restricted the teaching of the scientific theory of evolution in public schools. These statutes were typically enacted due to religious objections to evolutionary theory.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that such laws are unconstitutional. In landmark cases, the Court determined that anti-evolution statutes violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prevents the government from establishing or endorsing a religion. By forbidding the teaching of evolution, these laws were seen as promoting a particular religious viewpoint over scientific inquiry.

Here are some examples illustrating how an anti-evolution statute might apply:

• Imagine a state legislature in the 1920s passes a law making it a criminal offense for any public school teacher to present the theory of human evolution as fact. The statute explicitly states that only the biblical account of creation may be taught regarding human origins in public school classrooms.

  This illustrates an anti-evolution statute because it legally forbids the teaching of evolution in public schools and attempts to enforce a specific religious doctrine regarding human origins.

• Consider a state law enacted in the 1950s that mandates the removal of all textbooks discussing Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection from public school curricula. The law further stipulates that any school district found using such materials would face a significant reduction in state funding.

  This demonstrates an anti-evolution statute by imposing a legal restriction on curriculum content, effectively forbidding the teaching of a core component of evolutionary theory through financial penalties.

• Suppose a state statute from the 1930s makes it grounds for immediate dismissal for any public school educator to teach that humans evolved from lower forms of life. The law's stated purpose is to protect students from "heretical" scientific ideas that contradict religious beliefs prevalent in the state.

  This example clearly shows an anti-evolution statute because it legally forbids the teaching of a specific aspect of evolution by threatening teachers with job loss, thereby restricting academic freedom and curriculum content based on religious objections.