A Colorado Springs charter middle school teacher planned to include creationism in a science lesson this semester, the Times Recorder first reported last week — prompting a constitutional complaint.

Why it matters: Public schools cannot teach religious doctrine as science under the Constitution — and curriculum disputes have become a flashpoint in culture war battles at school districts across the country, including in the Pikes Peak region.

Driving the news: An email sent roughly two weeks ago by Donna Wagner, the science lead at James Irwin Charter Middle School in eastern Colorado Springs, told parents that eighth graders would learn about creationist and evolutionist theories in an upcoming unit on natural selection, adaptation and evolution.

• A parent contacted Wagner and the Freedom From Religion Foundation with concerns.
• The national nonprofit, which advocates for the separation of church and state, then accused the school of violating the Constitution.

What they're saying: The foundation sent a March 5 letter to school leaders questioning the constitutionality of the lesson.

• An unidentified parent told the group they now doubt the school's trustworthiness and the quality of their child's education.
• "[I] feel angry that religion is being forced on children and presented as science," the letter read.
• "All students have a constitutional right to be free from religious indoctrination in their public schools," foundation attorney Samantha Lawrence wrote.

The latest: James Irwin Charter Schools CEO Rob Daugherty told The Gazette last week he just learned about the plan to reference creationism.

• In a March 10 response to the foundation, Daugherty said intelligent design had appeared sporadically in past lessons.
• "When I found out, I went down to the school and told the principal, 'We need to take this out,'" Daugherty told The Gazette.
• He said creationism will not be taught at any James Irwin school.

The intrigue: The charter network is named for Apollo 15 astronaut James Irwin, an evangelical Christian who joined several expeditions in the 1970s searching for Noah's Ark.

• The middle school is part of a charter system founded in 2000 that now includes a high school, technical school and three elementary schools in the Colorado Springs area.
• The campuses operate under three local school districts. The middle school falls within Harrison School District 2.

What's next: Daugherty told Axios the incident was uncharacteristic for the James Irwin system, which he said does not seek to indoctrinate students.

• "As a result, we are going through all of our schools' lesson plans," he said.
• The Freedom From Religion Foundation told Daugherty it now considers the matter resolved.

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About 10.3% of El Paso County residents claim they have a wee bit o' Irish in their blood, per 2022 census data analyzed by Axios.

Zoom out: That's a touch above the national average of 9.5% and on par with the rest of the state, where 10.7% of residents have Irish ancestry.

Zoom in: Head out west to strike the real pot of gold.

• Western Colorado counties boasting the highest percentage of Irish ancestry include Hinsdale (19.5%), Mineral (18.5%), Gilpin (16.1%) and La Plata (14.9%).

Yes, but: Kiowa County on the eastern plains stands among the top five with a hearty 16.5%.

The bottom line: You don't need an Irish surname to sip a stout and celebrate today.

🎬 Fresh off the Oscars, here's a fun look back at the Springs' film history. (KRDO)

📚 Pikes Peak Library District plans to open a new branch in east Colorado Springs near Cimarron Hills, expanding access to books, programs and services in a growing part of town. (KKTV)

🏥 The state expects costs for a program providing health care for immigrant children and pregnant people to be 611% higher than initially projected. (Colorado Sun)

🌡️ The National Weather Service forecasts unseasonably warm temperatures in the Springs this week, rising to record-breaking levels. (Colorado Springs Gazette)

The Springs is expected to warm up 30 degrees from yesterday.

• And yes, the historically dry, hot winter could mean water and fire headaches later.

But for now? It's basically summer … in March.

☀️ Hit reply and send us your best "summer in March" photos this week — patios, pups, hikes, flip-flops.

We might just feature your sunny snaps in a future edition.