Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds (born c. 1965) is Statewide Policy and Programs Deputy Commissioner, Education Agency, State of Texas. She came to public attention in November 2007 over the controversial firing of

Christine Comer Christina Castillo Comer (born 1950) is the former Director of Science in the curriculum division of the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Comer spent nine years as the Director of Science until she resigned on November 7, 2007. Comer's resignation has ...

Career

Lizzette Reynolds was educated at

Southwestern University Southwestern University (Southwestern or SU) is a private liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest college or university in Texas. Southwestern o ...

(1983-7) and holds a degree in political science. She worked for a state senator and as a lobbyist before serving as deputy legislative director during

George W Bush George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd President ...

’s 1994-2000 tenure as Governor of Texas. She was the Secretary's Regional Representative,

U.S. Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...

, Region VI. While in this role she was invited to the Board of Visitors of Southwestern University, She joined the

Texas Education Agency The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the branch of the government of Texas responsible for public education in Texas in the United States.

(the state education agency) in January, 2007, as the Acting Deputy Commissioner for Statewide Policy and Programs. She was given management responsibility in September 2007 for the Curriculum Division.

Comer controversy

In October 2007,

Eugenie Scott Eugenie Carol Scott (born October 24, 1945) is an American physical anthropologist, a former university professor and educator who has been active in opposing the teaching of young Earth creationism and intelligent design in schools. She coined t ...

, the executive director of the

National Center for Science Education The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is a not-for-profit membership organization in the United States whose stated mission is to educate the press and the public on the scientific and educational aspects of controversies surrounding t ...

, sent an email to a list of addressees including

, then Director of Science in the curriculum division of the Texas Education Agency. It announced a talk in

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

by one of the Center's directors,

Barbara Forrest Barbara Carroll Forrest is a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. She is a critic of intelligent design and the Discovery Institute. Biography Forrest is a graduate of Hammond High School. She re ...

. Forrest was a key

expert witness An expert witness, particularly in common law countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, is a person whose opinion by virtue of education, training, certification, skills or experience, is accepted by the judge as ...

for the plaintiffs in the 2005

Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District ''Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District'', 400 F. Supp. 2d 707 (M.D. Pa. 2005) was the first direct challenge brought in the United States federal courts testing a public school district policy that required the teaching of intelligent design ...

trial, who argued successfully that the concept of

Intelligent Design Intelligent design (ID) is a pseudoscientific argument for the existence of God, presented by its proponents as "an evidence-based scientific theory about life's origins". Numbers 2006, p. 373; " Dcaptured headlines for its bold attempt to ...

is not scientific, but is a trojan horse for religious teaching in public schools. Comer received the email on October 26, 2007, and forwarded it to some acquaintances, adding only the text "FYI". Reynolds received a copy of the email and forwarded it to Comer's bosses less than two hours after Comer sent it. Reynolds cover text is quoted in part: "This is highly inappropriate. I believe this is an offense that calls for termination or, at the very least, reassignment of responsibilities. This is something that the State Board, the Governor's Office and members of the Legislature would be extremely upset to see because it assumes this is a subject that the agency supports." Comer was subsequently asked to resign her employment.

References

External links

A copy of the email of October 26, 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Lizzette 1960s births Southwestern University alumni Living people Women in Texas politics 21st-century American women