David Coppedge is suing his former employer, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, for wrongful termination.
JPL’s legal team maintains that Intelligent Design (ID) had nothing to do with what happened to Coppedge at JPL.
Coppedge says it had everything to do with what happened.
On the legal plane it’s an employment discrimination case.
On the cultural plane, it’s a story about the extent to which the culture of Big Science forbids people in the world of science from freely debating the merits of certain ideas, creating an illusion of “consensus.”
JPL instructed Coppedge that he was forbidden from discussing ID with his colleagues.
No one had complained to Coppedge himself that he should stop talking about the subject with them — a request that, had it been made, he would have respected.
Instead, one colleague took it on herself to interpret polite offers of information on ID as “harassment,” and then to inform on Coppedge to their superiors.
The investigation that followed resulted in Coppedge’s demotion and finally termination.
JPL never forbid expressions of contempt for ID. In a variety of forums JPL employees hooted and jeered at ID while pumping for Darwin — a JPL-sponsored online discussion group, officially sponsored speaking events, with obnoxious stickers on their office doors, informal office conversations that would be impossible to catalogue and number — all with no negative repercussions.
JPL put a gag order only on Coppedge’s attempts to stand up to or rebut his colleagues. He was told specifically that “this type of discussion is appropriate in certain setting (i.e., a JPL Bible Study group or where an individuals requests an opinion).”
When Coppedge attempted to explain that Intelligent Design is science, not religion, he was told to shut up about his religion.
Read the rest @ “In the David Coppedge Trial, Intelligent Design Is Where the Threads All Intersect”
By David Klinghoffer – March 14, 2012
http://www.evolutionnews.org/2012/03/in_the_david_co057491.html
polination.blog 
This is very, very disturbing. I had not heard anything about this, that I can recall. At least we know it is possible to terminate a government employee, though I can’t say I feel any better about it in this case.
LikeLike
“a request that, had it been made, he would have respected.”
How do you know that? I take it that you do not know very much about David Coppedge.
Coppedge admitted that people had complained about him as far back as 2004, 5 years before he tried to push his religion on people.
You should read less biased sources for your information.
LikeLike
Interesting you only pick out the one thing that has nothing to do with my point. Intelligent Design is NOT religion. In many respects, though, neo-Darwinism IS. Yet we are silenced and even FIRED, while you are allowed to say whatever you want.
As for complaining … please. I’ve complained most about the people I am closest to. It means nothing.
As for “less biased sources: … where? On this issue, there is no such animal, evolved or created.
LikeLike