Contact: Lawrence Ford, Institute for Creation Research (ICRGS), 800-337-0375

DALLAS, May 28 /Christian Newswire/ -- The California-based Institute for Creation Research Graduate School (ICRGS), established in 1981, has submitted its formal petition to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) calling for the education agency to reverse its decision to deny ICRGS' application for a Certificate of Authority to grant Master of Science degrees in the state of Texas.

The petition paves the way for ICRGS to sue the state agency and its officials in federal and/or state court.

The unconstitutional exercise of "viewpoint discrimination" is the focus of the ICRGS appeal and names Commissioner Raymund Paredes, Assistant Commissioner Joseph Stafford, Academic Excellence Committee chairperson Lyn Bracewell Phillips, and other THECB board members, who denied the application of ICRGS because its program is based on a creationist interpretation of scientific data rather than an evolutionary interpretation, which is prevalent in public education.

The ICRGS petition claims that the THECB failed to evaluate the ICRGS application without viewpoint discrimination. The formal petition sent to Austin includes 26 evidentiary appendices that buttress the academic freedom and other legal rights of ICRGS to offer its 27-year-old graduate program to Texas residents.

The petition was also delivered to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott due to the THECB's alleged violations of constitutional law standards.

Updates about the ICRGS case can be found at the organization's website.