Marietta, Ga. ? With some parents asking for teachers to mention biblical creationism as an alternative to evolution, officials said they will consider allowing differing views about the origin of life to be taught in Georgia’s second-largest school district.

The Cobb County school board voted unanimously Thursday to review a proposal that says the district “believes that discussion of disputed views of academic subjects is a necessary element of providing a balanced education, including the study of the origin of the species.”

Board chairman Curt Johnston said he did not know how the policy would change classroom practices and was unsure whether the new language would allow creationism to be discussed.

The board felt it should consider the plan because some teachers worried that they would get in trouble if they told students about any alternatives to evolution, Johnston said.

The theory of evolution, accepted by nearly all scientists, says evidence shows that life developed from earlier forms through slight variations over time and that natural selection determines which species survive. Creationism credits the origin of species to God.

In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that creationism was a religious belief that could not be taught in public schools along with evolution.

Some parents say they see the Cobb County proposal as a backdoor to get religion in schools.

“It’s deception and indoctrination,” said parent Paula Jackson.

Schools in the conservative suburban Atlanta county are already in court for their science curriculum. The district put stickers in thousands of middle and high school science books that said evolution is theory, not fact, and should be critically considered.

The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday sued to remove the stickers.