The debate about evolution and intelligent design resurfaced Tuesday at the Kansas State Board of Education meeting.

During the public forum portion of the meeting, Jack Krebs, president of Kansas Citizens for Science, defended his group from what he called a “smear campaign” by intelligent design proponents.

“I think it’s a smear campaign because everybody knows there are an awful lot of people who do believe that evolution is atheistic and that they are trying to tar us and other people who accept the committee’s standards as atheists,” Krebs said.

Krebs claimed John Calvert, managing director of the Intelligent Design Network, was promoting the idea that anyone who believes in evolution is an atheist.

“I know a lot of people that are pretty upset this false accusation is being made both about Kansas Citizens for Science itself and about Christians and other religious people in general,” Krebs said after the meeting. “(It’s) a political strategy that I think deliberately is meant to rouse up people to respond.”

Several state school board seats are up for election this year.