Spokane county has experienced numerous controversies regarding young-earth creationism being taught in public school classrooms.
In 1996, the Spokesman-Review revealed that an eighth grade science teacher, Aaron Mason, was suspended for two days without pay.
According to the June 19, 1996 article, Mr. Mason disregarded the standard science curriculum and substituted his own, heavily depending on young-earth creationist materials. In addition, Mr. Mason brought in, without district approval, Jim Marisch of Creation Outreach, a Spokane group that promotes young-earth creationism.
Shortly after the Spokesman-Review article appeared, the ACLU sent a letter to the superintendent of the Cheney School District, asking him to remove Mr. Mason from the school science faculty. It also detailed the nature of how Aaron Mason tested his students. To our knowledge, no further action has been taken against Mr. Mason. It us unknown if Mr. Mason's current classes are being strictly monitored.
This incident also revealed that Jim Marisch of Creation Outreach not only spoke to Mr. Mason's class, but to other public school classes in the Spokane area. According to the Spokesman-Review article, "He talked about cataclysmic formations in geology at Spokane's Rogers High School in 1994 and 1995." Marisch also noted that he spoke about dinosaurs to fourth-graders at Chester Elementary in Central Valley in 1994.
When contacted about Marisch's appearance at Chester Elementary, Principal Dennis Olson said, "He didn't come in with a Bible in his left hand and a lesson in his right hand. This was a different viewpoint based on science." Principal Olson heard Marisch's presentation and found it, "thought-provoking."
If any other school incidents are occurring in the Spokane area, please contact Pacific Northwest Skeptics and the ACLU immediately.
Creation Outreach, as noted above, is heavily active in the Spokane area.
We have not received any reports yet regarding active creationist churches in this county. However, the presence of Creation Outreach in Spokane strongly suggests that creationist churches do exist in this area.
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