Eric Hedin, an associate professor of physics and astronomy, was accused over the summer of teaching intelligent design at Ball State.
A Ball State representative says there are no new developments concerning the letter sent by Indiana legislators regarding a professor who was accused of teaching intelligent design last summer.
Joan Todd, a university spokesperson, said “there is nothing new to add,” regarding the letter sent March 10 by four Indiana senators who question Ball State’s respect for academic freedom and religious liberty in its treatment.
The letter sent last week said questions have been raised about the university’s treatment of Eric Hedin, an associate professor of physics and astronomy, after he was accused of teaching intelligent design in his Boundaries of Science honors colloquium course.
In the letter, the legislators say they are concerned that improper procedures were followed when investigating Hedin and that some members of the committee created to investigate him included those with a conflict of interest that were “predisposed to be hostile to his viewpoint.”
“In order to determine if legislative action is required, we feel obligated to investigate whether BSU has acted in accord with state educational policy, legal requirements and BSU’s own published standards,” the letter said.
Rep. Jeff Thompson of Lizton; Dennis Kruse, a Senate education committee chairman; Sen. Travis Holdman of Markle; and Sen. Greg Walker of Columbus signed the letter.
Kruse recently introduced two legislative pieces to encourage the teaching and support of religion in public schools.
In early 2013, he introduced Senate Bill 23 to allow schools to require students to recite the “Lord’s Prayer.” Later that year, he introduced a bill looking for “truth in education” to allow teachers to say why they believe a given theory, such as creationism, is true.
Kruse did not immediately return calls to comment on the letter.
The legislators wrote that they also were “disturbed by reports that while you restrict faculty speech on intelligent design, BSU authorized a seminar that teaches ‘Science Must Destroy Religion.’”
Ball State spokesman Tony Proudfoot said the legislators were referring to an honors seminar, “Dangerous Ideas,” which uses a book that includes an essay with that title.
“This is not a seminar that teaches that ‘Science Must Destroy Religion,’” Proudfoot said. “That phrase is simply the title of one four-page essay among 109 others.”
Proudfoot said the university is limited in what it can say about the situation with Hedin because it’s a personnel matter for the 21,000-student school.
“Dr. Hedin’s academic credentials are an asset to the university,” he said. “He remains an important and valued member of our physics and astronomy department.”
The Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based intelligent design think tank, has defended Hedin’s Boundaries of Science course.
John West, the group’s vice president, said he hoped the lawmakers will force Ball State to release the review panel’s report.
“That report should be public so the public can judge whether what happened was fair or biased or whatever,” West said.
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