permitted teachers to discuss Biblical cre-
think it's so outrageous. . . .I'm prepared
ation when teaching evolution. A state-
to press charges on those adults should I
wide debate still emerged, however, in
find out that there are any legal violations
late Decemberearly January, when
encouraging students to be truant." Some
Senate president David Williams (R-
students, however, say they organized the
Burkesville) said that he and other
walkouts, and that they did so to exercise
Republicans were discussing pushing
their free-speech rights. "We saw rallies in
Kentucky schools to teach intelligent
California and Texas and wanted to do
design, and Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R )
something," said 18-year-old Ana Ro-
briefly plugged intelligent design in his
mero. "We didn't walk out to be rebel-
lious."113
State of the Commonwealth address.
Supporters of injecting at least some dis-
cussion of intelligent design into
Integration vs. Self-determination
ˇ Wichita--For 34 years the Wichita school
Kentucky public schools portrayed doing
so, among other things, as a simple mat-
district had mandatory busing to inte-
ter of free speech. "Any time you have a
grate its schools. In February schools
free and open conversation about theo-
superintendent Winston Brooks said it
ries that people have . . . I think that's very
was time to change how integration in
positive," said Williams. Miriam Steinitz-
Wichita is done. He argued that it should
Kannan, a microbiology professor at
be fostered through choice rather than
Northern Kentucky University, however,
compulsion, such as via magnet schools
saw the suggestion as a religious assault
or letting students and families volunteer
on science. "The moment we throw faith
for busing. "I'd like to take the pressure
in there and tell students not to think,
off of the African-American kids bused
then we're in trouble," she said.116
and see more choice," said school board
member Sara Skelton. Much hinged,
however, on what the U.S. Department of
Homosexuality
ˇ Ashland--In 2004, a federal judge required
Education's Office of Civil rights would
allow the district to do.114
the Boyd County school district to imple-
ment anti-harassment training for all
middle and high school students as part
Sex Education
ˇ Topeka--In June, conservative State Board
of the settlement of a case brought
against the district by the ACLU, which
of Education members backed away
sued the district for blocking a Gay-
from mandating abstinence-only sex-
Straight Alliance at Boyd County High
education courses, but also caught flack
School. In December 2005 the ACLU
for their compromise proposal: a require-
asked that a federal court dismiss a law-
ment that districts teach "abstinence
suit brought by families who contended
until marriage" along with providing
that because part of the training prohib-
information about sexually transmitted
ited students from speaking critically
diseases and birth control. "We need to
about homosexuality, forcing students to
be concerned [about] abstinence-only
attend the training violated their free
because it isn't accurate information,"
speech rights. In February, U.S. District
said Debra Rukes, director of the Topeka
Court Judge David Bunning found
YWCA's teenage pregnancy prevention
program. "That puts our kids at risk."115
against the plaintiffs, arguing that there
is case law supporting prohibitions on
"harassing speech that disrupts the edu-
Kentucky
cational process."117
Intelligent Design
ˇ Frankfort--In Kentucky state law has long
ˇ Cannonsburg--Boyd County was again
30