Michael Talkington will not return for 18th year as adjunct at Oklahoma City Community College due to evolution controversy
St. Cloud Times
August 8, 2010
After 17 years as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma City Community College, Michael Talkington will not be in the classroom this semester.
The decision is his own, he said, though it came after a student in the spring complained Talkington "glossed over” evolution and instead taught creationism and intelligent design in his biology class.
Student Bryan Jaden Walker wrote on his blog, jadeneternal.wordpress.com, that the professor "glossed over the scientific explanation very quickly (less than 20 seconds), then explained Creationism for about five minutes (5,000-year-old Earth, no evolution, etc).”
Walker wrote that he complained to Sonya Williams, OCCC's director of science but was told the professor was entitled to share his opinions in class.
The complaint was investigated internally by the college but no disciplinary action was deemed necessary, OCCC spokesman Cordell Jordan said.
"We checked it out and admonished the professor to please follow curriculum protocols,” Jordan said. "We give latitude. You're allowed to teach however you want, but you do have to teach what's on the syllabus, and that seems like what happened.”
Talkington said what Walker reported on his blog is inaccurate.
"That may be his perception. I'm not calling him a liar, but that is not factual,” Talkington said.
