Supervisors at NASA’s prestigious Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) illegally harassed and demoted a high-level computer system administrator for expressing support of intelligent design to co-workers, according to a discrimination lawsuit filed in California Superior Court.

The lawsuit was filed by attorneys on behalf of David Coppedge, an information technology specialist and system administrator on JPL’s Cassini mission to Saturn, the most ambitious interplanetary exploration ever launched. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a NASA laboratory managed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) where robotic planetary spacecraft, such as the Mars Rovers, are built and operated. Coppedge was a "Team Lead" Systems Administrator on the Cassini mission until JPL demoted him for allegedly "pushing religion" by loaning interested co-workers DVDs supportive of intelligent design.

Read the rest of the story at Evolution News & Views.

These two intensive summer seminars on intelligent design, science, and culture run from July 9-17, 2010 in Seattle. The first seminar is for students in the natural sciences and philosophy of science; the second seminar is for students in the social sciences and humanities (including politics, law, journalism, and theology).
These seminars allow students not only to learn about ID, but to become equipped to make a difference as a part of the ID movement. Leading lights from the intelligent design community such as Michael Behe, Douglas Axe, Stephen Meyer, and Jay Richards, will be teaching this year.

Discovery Institute pays the expenses for students who are accepted, including travel, lodging, meals, books, and other course materials. Applications will be accepted until April 16, 2010. Click here for more information.

If you’re not a student, please consider sharing this information with the students you know who may be interested. Who knows? They may end up becoming the next Michael Behe or Stephen Meyer.

Three Things You Can Do to Help
In the midst of disturbing news about threats to academic freedom (see above for the latest), it’s helpful to remember that there are concrete, tangible ways you can take a stand for academic freedom on evolution.

First, you can call the JPL at 818-354-2148 and respectfully let them know that you are standing for David Coppedge and for academic freedom.

Second, you can join 40,000 other people in supporting academic freedom on evolution by signing the Academic Freedom Petition. Or, if you’ve already signed, please get three firends to sign on as well. 

Third, forward this newsletter to your friends and family and tell them to sign up to keep updated on important academic freedom cases like David Coppedge’s.

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