HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The state American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Tuesday against a Pennsylvania school district to stop it from teaching an alternative theory of evolution that many say is just another form of creationism.

The lawsuit stems from the Dover Area School Board's decision to mandate the teacher of an alternative theory to evolution. The theory, called intelligent design, holds that the complexity of the universe suggests creation by a divine being rather than through evolution.

The School Board voted 6-3 on Oct. 18 to include this curriculum in its biology class.

Six of the 11 school parents who are plaintiffs took part in a press conference Tuesday at the state Capitol. Angie Yingling is one of those parents. She said the School Board established the curriculum for religious reasons, not to improve science education.

"I believe it's wrong to introduce a non-scientific explanation of the origins of life into the science curriculum," Yingling said.

A couple of protestors showed up to blast the lawsuit.

Three School Board members, including Casey Brown, have resigned, arguing the curriculum violates the separation of church and state law.

"I felt if we were to teach alternative hypotheses it shouldn't be in science classes to begin with. It should be in a separate class of world religions," Brown said.

The issue has not only put a wedge between School Board members, but also among residents.

"I think there should be religion in school. That's the problem. There's not enough of it," Dover resident Donna Harbold said.

"I just think from a scientific standpoint it doesn't belong. Religion is religion. Science is science. They shouldn't teach it," Dover resident Deb Nelson said.

Biology teachers are scheduled to teach the new curriculum to ninth-graders starting next month.