Verdict in June at the earliest.
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Closing arguments conclude in JPL evolution case
Brian Charles, SGVN Pasadena Star-News
Posted:
PasadenaStarNews.com
LOS ANGELES - Lawyers Monday completed closing arguments in the case of a former Jet Propulsion Laboratory employee who claims he was laid off for believing in intelligent design.
An attorney for David Coppedge said his client was subjected to "stubborn and complete intolerance" of his beliefs while working for JPL. It was that attitude which hastened Coppedge's firing, attorney William J. Becker, Jr. argued in a month-long trial that pitted science and religion in a way that was sometimes reminiscent of the 1920s Scopes Monkey Trial.
In their defense, JPL attorneys argued that Coppedge, the systems administrator, had become a combative employee whose skills had faded. He was demoted by the lab in 2009 and fired last year as part of a downsizing at the facility in La Canada Flintridge.
"We have been in this trial for five weeks and there has been no evidence, just conjecture, that Mr. Coppedge was treated differently," JPL attorney Cameron Fox said. "What happened to David Coppedge had nothing to do with intelligent design."
Ultimately, Superior Judge Ernest Hiroshige will decide the matter. In doing so he will comb through more than a month's worth of testimony, as well written arguments yet to be submitted by attorneys for each side.
Lawyers in the case expect a final decision no earlier than June.
Monday's argument by Becker focused on whether his client's expressed support for intelligent design hastened his layoff in 2011.
Becker said there was no evidence that Coppedge coerced co-workers to watch the intelligent design and religious DVDs that he distributed and sold on the grounds of the science lab during his tenure.
Fox wrapped up her verbal arguments by claiming Coppedge was an employee who "lacked self awareness, who was stubborn and didn't listen."
Fox's closing arguments also poked holes in the arguments given by Becker.
Coppedge was laid off in spring 2011, more than two years after he filed an initial suit against JPL for creating what he deemed to be a hostile work environment. In 2009, co-workers began complaining about Coppedge's distribution of two intelligent design DVDs, "The Privileged Planet" and "Unlocking the Mystery of Life." Both videos advocate for intelligent design, a belief closely tied with the religious right wing. Coppedge's JPL supervisors considered the material to be religious in nature. The former JPL systems administrator also kept a running lending log of JPL employees whom he loaned the videos to, and an account of their reactions to the video.
His direct supervisor Greg Chin reprimanded Coppedge in 2009 after several co-workers complained about the distribution of intelligent design DVDs and his prior distribution of a religious video titled "The Case for Christ."
Fox said Coppedge's stubbornness thwarted Chin's attempt to warn Coppedge about his behavior and precipitated a dust-up between the Chin and Coppedge.
"(Chin's) attempt at a heads-up got hijacked" and turned "into an argument about intelligent design," Fox said.
Co-workers testified that Coppedge was combative and expressive about his conservative religious beliefs. He challenged Chin to an off-campus debate on intelligent design and engaged in spirited arguments around California's 2008 gay marriage ban ballot initiative, Proposition 8.
Following the 2009 incident, Coppedge's performance evaluations turned negative, according to court testimony.
Fox said Coppedge's layoff came because he "lacked the skills" skills as a system administrator, adding that Coppedge's skill set had become obsolete.
Fox criticized Becker's closing argument saying that it contained several "logical flaws."
In his closing arguments Monday, Becker said Coppedge was holding conversation about intelligent design and creation in much the same way others at JPL discussed traditional science. Becker added that nothing about Coppedge's behavior violated the policies at JPL.
"There's no policy against distributing religious materials at JPL non-work related religious expression is tolerated at JPL JPL has no policy about making someone uncomfortable," Becker said.
Attorneys for both sides continued to argue Monday that Coppedge's case is purely about wrongful termination and has no implications beyond being a case of employment law.
However, advocates of intelligent design and defenders of evolution have monitored the trial.
Supporters of creation science are directly involved with Coppedge's case.
Becker is an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian group. Josh Youngkin, program officer in law and policy at Discovery Institute, which advocates from intelligent design and creation science, is assisting with the case of Coppedge's behalf.
The National Center for Science Education, which supports evolution and climate change education in public schools, has posted regular updates on the trial on its website.
The stakes in this case, according to NCSE, are high.
NCSE spokesman Robert Luhn said the creationist/intelligent design community would likely distort a win by Coppedge. Supporters of intelligent design would likely perceive a win Coppedge's wrongful termination lawsuit as a win against "Big Science."
Tennessee enacted a law on April 11 that allows science teacher to introduce "alternatives" to evolution to K through 12 students. Critics say the new law will allow teachers to present pseudo-scientific ideas, such as intelligent design, in science classes.