TOPEKA– A Kansas state school board candidate who describes evolution as “Satanic lies” and wants to stop public schools from teaching the theory attends Westboro Baptist, the Topeka church known for anti-gay protests worldwide.

Jack Wu told The Topeka Capital-Journal that he decided to run for the State Board of Education after learning that Democratic incumbent Carolyn Campbell, also from Topeka, would otherwise be unopposed for a second term in the 4th District of eastern Kansas. Campbell supports the state’s current science standards, which treat evolution as a well-established, core scientific concept.

Wu’s link to the Rev. Fred Phelps Sr.’s congregation has created a buzz in education circles. On a campaign website, Wu says he is a native of California drawn to the Kansas capital “after seeing the light of the Westboro Baptist Church.” Church members have staged anti-gay pickets for more than two decades, and they frequently protest outside military funerals.