John T. Scopes

John T. Scopes was a high school teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, who became the central figure in the 1925 'Scopes Monkey Trial.' He was charged with violating the Butler Act, a law that prohibited the teaching of evolution in public schools. The trial not only challenged the legality of the law but also ignited a national debate over science versus religion, making Scopes a symbol of the struggle for academic freedom.