Fact-Check: Reporter John Austin Misrepresents TX Science Standards, Refuses to Correct the Record

A journalist working for a national newspaper chain has fabricated a claim about the Texas science standards, and now he and his editor are refusing to correct the record.

In late September, three Texas newspapers owned by Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. (CNHI) published an article by reporter John Austin claiming that a science standard adopted by Texas in 2009 authorizes the teaching of "non-scientific explanations." That claim is false.

Austin asserted that conservatives on the Texas...