John Scopes was a prominent American educator and civic leader who rose to fame in the 20th century for his role in the famous "Scopes Monkey Trial." In this high-profile case, Scopes was accused of violating Tennessee state law by teaching the theory of evolution in a public school. Some of the synonyms that can be used to refer to Scopes include the "Monkey Trial teacher", "the defendant in the Scopes Trial", "evolution teaching educator", or "Tennessee biology instructor". Despite being found guilty and ultimately fined, Scopes' case was a significant milestone in the history of science education and the separation of church and state.