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 NASA's Cassini space probe snapped this photo of jets spewing from Saturn's moons.
March 13th, 2012
10:08 PM ET
Terminated employee claims bias against intelligent designBy Stan Wilson, CNN Los Angeles (CNN) - A former veteran systems administrator for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory claimed during opening arguments in a civil lawsuit Tuesday that he was wrongfully terminated for expressing his views on intelligent design. David Coppedge, who spent 15 years on the Cassini Mission, one of NASA and JPL's most ambitious planetary space explorations, asserts that he was unlawfully fired under his employer's anti-harassment and ethics policies. JPL contends Coppedge created a hostile workplace while expressing his religious views with co-workers. His suit also claims that supervisors wrongly admonished him for distributing DVD documentary films titled "Unlocking the Mystery of Life" and "The Privileged Planet," which present biological and cosmological explanations for intelligent design, according to the complaint. Coppedge claims he never forcibly compelled colleagues to accept his idea of intelligent design in the workplace. Intelligent design is a conviction that life is too complex to have developed solely through evolution and that the universe was designed by an intelligent entity. CNN's Belief Blog – all the faith angles to the day's top stories JPL, based in Pasadena, California, is one of the world's most prestigious institutions for scientific research and development institutions. In Coppedge's civil lawsuit, he describes JPL's space missions as designed, in part, to explore the origin of the universe, uncover whether life exists elsewhere in the universe - or is improbably confined to earth - and whether conditions necessary for life to exist reside elsewhere in the universe. Launched in October 1997, the Cassini mission to Saturn included a sophisticated robotic spacecraft that orbited the ringed planet and provided streams of data about its rings, magnetosphere, moon Titan and icy satellites. Cassini was the largest interplanetary mission ever launched, with the largest technical staff and participation of 18 countries. In his role, Coppedge was responsible for making technical and scientific recommendations to management and developing presentations about various technical capabilities of new systems and upgrades, his attorney William Becker Jr. said during opening arguments. During his tenure, Coppedge developed a "sincere interest in the scientific evidence behind life's origin," which led to his conviction about "intelligent design." Coppedge shared the view that life and the existence of the universe derived not from "undirected material processes," but from "intelligent cause," said attorney Becker. In March 2009, Coppedge claims that his supervisor advised him that co-workers had complained that he was harassing them over debates about his religious views and coercing them in the workplace into watching DVD programs about intelligent design. During his opening statements Tuesday, attorney Becker Jr. told a judge hearing the case that Coppedge's supervisor threatened him with termination if he "pushed his religion" and ordered Coppedge to refrain from discussing politics or religion with anyone in the office. During that 2009 meeting, Coppedge alleges, his supervisor became angry and belligerent asserting that "intelligent design is religion" and ordered him to stop. "The tone of the meeting and conduct were abusive and constituted harassment," his attorney said in court. JPL spokeswoman Veronica McGregor said the lawsuit "is completely without merit, and we intend to vigorously fight the allegations raised by Mr. Coppedge." In their response to the civil suit, attorneys for JPL stated in court documents that one of Coppedge's co-workers complained to his supervisor that Coppedge made her feel so uncomfortable in discussing "non work related topics" that it bordered on harassment. The supervisor encouraged Coppedge to limit his discussions about topics like religion and politics to periods like lunch breaks, according to the response. The documents state that other co-workers complained they also felt harassed when Coppedge expressed views in favor of California Proposition 8, the ballot initiative in 2010 that defined marriage between and man and woman. "David Coppedge alienated his co-workers by the way he acted with them, and blamed anyone who complained about those interactions," according to JPL in their response. "He accuses his former project supervisor and line manager of making discriminatory and retaliatory employment decision, when they had in fact protected him for years." JPL alleged that Coppedge "was seen as stubborn, unwilling to listen and always having to do things his way, which frustrated project members and resulted in errors." Coppedge was demoted after eight years as lead systems administrator and terminated last year. He cited those actions as a factor in basis for his suit claiming religious discrimination, retaliation, harassment and wrongful demotion. JPL has denied Coppedge's termination complaint, contending he was among 246 employees laid off as part of a downsizing plan that affected 300 staffers. "JPL complies with all applicable state and federal employment laws including laws governing freedom of expression," said JPL spokeswoman McGregor. California Institute of Technology operates JPL, which is federally funded under a contract with NASA. Scientists are employed by the Caltech. The case has generated interest among advocates of intelligent design. The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian civil rights group, and the Discovery Institute, a proponent of intelligent design, are supporting Coppedge's lawsuit. The National Center for Science Education, which supports the teaching of evolution in public education, is closely monitoring the case. Coppedge is seeking damages for wrongful termination, including attorney fees. The nonjury trial is expected to last four weeks. *An earlier headline for this article identified David Coppedge as a scientist. His attorney later said that despite his technical work with computers, he is not a scientist. |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Regardless of his personal beliefs, he should have followed his manager's request and limited his comments to his coworkers. Believe me, they knew he was a believer and if they wanted any information, they would have requested it. He wouldn't have to proactively give it to them. Non-work related views, especially those that may be controversal, should not be argued in the workplace. It is hostile. This guy was laid off, not fired. In layoffs, the people who have substandard skills go first. The next to go are the people who cause their manager grief, be it direct or indirect by making team members uncomfortable. I wonder how he would have felt if there had been a radical, outspoken gay or lesbian actively campaigning against Prop. 8 or a Wiccan or Muslim passing out pamphets and promoting their faiths? Would he have felt it was the wrong place/wrong time?
There is no such thing as an "intelligent design scientist". If he believes in 'intelligent design' he cannot be a 'scientist'.
Yes, what "science" have they done? Have they figured out how this intelligent designer came up with his often flawed designs? Have they figured out who, or what designed the designer? Have they figured out where this designer was before he/she/it designed our universe?
Does making meaningless attempts at criticizing evolution const.itute a "science" unto itself?
Why not? I am a Christian myself. I am also fascinated how God went about creating everything He made... BTW, reg. Genesis... Do you all who believe a day is literally a 'day'... think about it.. God's days are different from our perception of a day... A day for God could be equivalent to a Million, billion or a few seconds compared to our days... Open your minds up and think about it....
^ This presumes, of course, that the god hypothesis is correct, which has never been tested.
It's a dumb argument, at least in my opinion. Religion has its own validity, the scienfific method has its own validity. Science isn't always right–it's a process–but it uses a systematic method of investigating theories. Religion is based on faith, and is for the most part unprovable. They are different theories of knowledge and shouldn't be confused. Fundamentalist Chrsitians made a big mistake with this intelligent design nonsense–it's the wrong argument.
Kafir, not tested? Then explain this to me... Why is it that the further and further a scientist studies and researches ultimately their belief in God is strengthened?
David Coppedge is the kind of jerk that ruins the work place. I hope you are reading this David. No one wants to hear your views at work. You can stand on a street corner and scream your beliefs, but leave ME alone at work. BTW, David I am sure you were terrible at your job.
Okay so you're working at HP and you run around harassing your fellow workers and trying to get them to watch a DVD about how wonderful Dell is. Management is going to tell you "you need to go work for Dell." This guy is working in a science environment. Science means publishing your findings and subjecting them to PEER REVIEW. This guy is more than welcome to present published PEER REVIEWED scientific studies arguing the case for magically design. THAT'S HOW IT WORKS IN SCIENCE. If he doesn't like the process, then he needs to go find another job. This guy is working at a place that depends upon its very existence on the Earth being round and the Earth going around the Sun. People like him used to argue, every single bit as vehemently, that the Earth was flat and the Sun went around the Earth.
Religion is like a pen-is. It's alright to have one, but you shouldn't be whipping it out in the office and trying to foce it down other people's throats.
That is hilarious.
"Intelligent Design" is religion, by definition.
It is amazing how the human mind can become so intolerant of another line of thought. But intolerance is usually an artifact of pride. Certainly JPL scientists have much to be proud of.
...Or, be so intolerant of someone going around the office harrassing people with his own views despite repeated reproachments.
...IDIOT! I cannot understand how can you be a scientist and still believe in the myth of God?
Easy... All the studying comes down to the unexplained. Once the unexplained it discovered, then there is something else before that... etc etc when it comes down to how it all began in the first place, there is only one answer...
so if goddidit, where did god come from?
oh wait lemme guess... biggoddidit?
Kafir, if God has mercy on me and I am able to make it heaven, hopefully then I'll find out.. But even then it may be too mind blowing...
Reading the article, sounds like he was fired for not doing his job! ... Just the intelligent design folks trying to create controversy when there is none... If he did his job, he would have not been fired...
If David Coppedge had made the case for evolution, rather than intelligent design, he’d still be working at JPL. Read more: http://christiandiarist.com/2012/03/14/advocacy-of-intelligent-design-gets-scientist-fired/
You may be right, but that is because evolution has a scientific foundation. The bible or whatever does not. Anyone who really think's intelligent design happened does not need to be employed in scientific pursuits. Either you believe in the science or you believe in some magical being snapping his fingers and creating the universe.
Bull! Who knows how God created... Only God knows. Just because we observe through studying how beings evolved does not discount intelligent design and vice-versa. Evolution can be way off base, or a glimpse of how God works....
Religion really has very little to do with this case, I've been reading up on it. He harassed his fellow employees/subordinates, was told to knock it off, and continued to do so. I'm not sure what he expected to happen, but it doesn't surprise me he's claiming bias when the truth of the matter is he couldn't behave himself.
Those advocates of 'intelligent Design' fear the truth that there is no designer and the science has proven it. If they have proof of a designer them bring it forth – THEY CAN'T.
Yeah – this guy really seemed scared.......
As soon as you prove that the universe somehow evolved us randomly.
Science has NOT proven there is no designer. It merely renders a "designer" unnecessary.
There is a difference.
There's proof that there was no designer? Wow, I'd like to see that.
How has science proven there is no creator of the universe? Yes Science has proven that there has been evolution. Yes science has proven that the universe is a whole lot older than the literal interpretation Bible says. How has it proven that there is not some force of nature driving the creation of the universe? Give me proof.
The beauty of scientific discourse is in the controversy. when they were mostly priests the emotions were rational. Now more n more scientists don't have the emotional maturity to stomach dissent. If wave light theory had been dogma particulate theory wud have died and its benefits lost.
ID is not scientific at all. It has no basis in science. There is no way you can prove/disprove that there is an intelligent designer. Without being able to test, there is no way for it to go through the scientific method.
Oh so u don't know that whenever we check Evolution we automatically check Intelligent design.
"Emotional maturity"? Dissent in the form of scientific facts is one thing. "Intelligent design" is religious nonsense.
The reason this clown was fired was that he constantly harassed his employees with his religious and pseudo-scientific beliefs.
What are you talking about – of course it has a place in science. It's called probability. We can study the universe and determine, through science, if it has no definite aim or purpose; not sent or guided in a particular direction, if it was developed without method or conscious choice. We can determine if the universe and the world we live in originated from chance and therefore has no intelligible pattern or combination.
Spontaneous design and Intelligent Design are all rooted in one thing. The Law of Variation. We do not need to prove a designer to prove intelligent design just as we don't need to disprove a designer to prove evolution.
Exactly. At it's very premise ID is unscientific and untestable. It is no different than me asserting quite contrary to all available evidence, that the universe was created by a dung beetle named steve who lives in a glorious refuse heap in another dimension. Prove me wrong. You can't? Well then it must have validity.
@Nii – Wave-particle behavior is testable. Your point is lost.
If you are going to claim intelligent design, you certainly must prove the existence of a designer. Evolution is self-evident. Proving evolution happens is like proving gravity happens.
Science can handle dissent just fine. But the dissent must be in the form of fact-based arguments and testable hypotheses that can be independently verified or disproven. There is no factual basis for "intelligent design", and no testable hypotheses. It is a matter of faith, i.e. religion. Coppedge had no business bringing his religious views into the workplace when the purpose of that workplace is to analyze data and test hypotheses using the scientific method.
@Dan - First off ID isn't "quite contrary to all evidence". If you take a test and it has rules don't you assume someone made up the rule? That is the whole point of intelligent design. We have the laws of physics and the laws of mathematics that we 'discovered' we didn't make up. Who/What made them up? If your response to that is No One. That is just as much your opinion as me thinking someone did. Opinion doesn't have place in scientific laws or theories but what is a hypothesis? Oh yeah it is your opinion on how something would work. Now if you want to go spend your life proving that the creator of the universe is a beetle that is your own right.
Whether you believe in intelligent design is irrelevant. Pontificating your religious beliefs at work is inappropriate. It creates a hostile work environment, just like talking politics does.
I agree with Alex. It appears that he kept pushing his beliefs, almost testing his supervisors to see how far he could go. It also sounds like that he wasn't worried about being fired and that maybe one of these groups paying for his lawsuit will employ him when it's over. he may have done this on purpose, to get attention for his cause. ID isn't science, it is a religious attempt to explain science that doesn't conflict with a religioous viewpoint. Science requires an ability to test using the scientific method. There is no way to prove the exsistance of a higher power, so it is the same as religion.
Is there a single scientist who is not a fundamentalist christian who subscribes to Intelligent Design? It's a religious theory. You can believe anything you want, and science is certainly not always correct–it is a system for gaining and refining knowledge–but you can't confuse the two.
einstein believed in Intelligent Design. He was a Deist Jew. Lemaitre believed in Intelligent Design. The spontaneous universe theory is very young.
Nii, you are embarrassing yourself.
Einstein believed in Intelligent Design?
What a crock! Look it up; he didn't.
The vast majority of the scientific community as a whole subscribes to intelligent design. Unfortunately, the minority voice in the communitiy tends to be incredibly vocal and, at times, hostile in the sole attempt to delude the general public into thinking that, if one is a scientist or intelligent, one does not believe in a God or subscribe to intellingent design theories. Neither is true or represents the actualities.
More like "CaptainSpurious".
You are lying when you say that scientists believe in ID. The National Academy of Arts and Sciences are 93% atheist.
Why lie about this?
I think you have it backwards CaptianObvious...the majority of intelligent people can reconcile the realities of science with the faith in religion. The majority of scientists do not believe in ID. They may believe in God but that doesn't equal believing in ID. Let's se some numbers and proof behind your redidules claims.
@CaptainObvious
"The vast majority of the scientific community as a whole subscribes to intelligent design"
Dr. Greg Graffin's PHD Thesis, which found that the overwhelming majority of scientists are atheists.
They find there to be no conflict between religion and science – so long as religion is recognized solely as a sociological adaptation.
The guy is a fool if he doesn't think he crossed the line by distributing creationist videos to the people he supervises.
My dear ole' granpappy done never say nothin' about us comin' from one of them there monkeys. My granpappy was the smartest man I done known and if he don't say nothin' 'bout it, it can't be true!
Now my cousin Jeffy. Jeffy, Lord rest his soul, done seen one of them bigfoots outside his mammy's trailer. That there bigfoot was a hootin' and a hollerin' like the Devil himself I tell you what. You tryin' to tell me we done come from one of them there hairy folk? Awww well that dog ain't gonna hunt I tell you what.
I wonder what you do for a living? I bet Mr. Coppedge could school you any day of the week. I venture to say that you were never a systems administrator for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory either.
You are a thief, sir.
This guy knew he was being an insufferable tool, that's why he thinks he was fired because of it even though he lost his job amid widespread layoffs.
I've had the misfortune of working with a few like him. It isn't fun. They're so danged convinced that they're right they think it excuses their behavior even though they would be the first to complain if someone from another religion started trying to integrate their creation myths into the work environment.
Amen!
Exactly right.
Pen-is.
Evolution? Intelligent Design? No, No, No. Everyone knows Lamarckism is how Life is the way it is. Teach the controversy!!!