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Public commenter urges Highlands County schools to teach creationism alongside evolution
Summary
At the public‑comment portion of the Highlands County School Board meeting, a resident argued for the inclusion of creationist perspectives in district science instruction and asserted creation offers better explanations for DNA and fossils.
A Highlands County resident used the public‑comment period to urge the school board to allow the teaching of creation alongside evolution.
The speaker identified himself as Larry Oldfield and said he is a Highlands County property owner and taxpayer. In a roughly 10‑minute presentation he contrasted a “democratic republic” with an “oligarchy,” described his personal objections to evolutionary theory as a sole explanation for origins, and argued that creationist accounts should be presented alongside evolutionary hypotheses in public‑school science classrooms. He said DNA and fossil evidence can be interpreted by creation researchers and asserted that parents who endorse creation should see their views represented in classroom instruction.
Oldfield referenced a 2008 Florida State Board of Education decision that he said “explicitly require[s] the teaching of evolution in public schools” (meeting transcript citation for the speaker’s statement: "On 02/19/2008, the Florida State Board of Education adopted a science standard that explicitly require the teaching of evolution in public schools"). He also framed the choice of instructional emphasis as a First Amendment and representation issue for taxpayers.
The board did not take action on Oldfield’s comments; they were delivered during the public‑comment portion of the meeting.
