Creationist Teacher John Freshwater Accused of Burning Crosses into Students' Arms

By: Carlin DeGuerin Miller
Topics: Daily Blotter

(The Columbus Dispatch/Shari Lewis)

(The Columbus Dispatch/ Craig Holman)

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (CBS) John Freshwater may not believe in evolution, but the Ohio middle school teacher accused of teaching that gays are sinners and burning crosses into students' arms, is on the verge of being naturally selected out of the classroom.

Photo: A Mount Vernon parent holds up a picture of her son's arm she claims was burned by John Freshwater.

Freshwater, a Mount Vernon Middle School science teacher, admits burning the students but says it wasn't part of any religious statement, but part of a science experiment he had done a hundred times in his 21 years of teaching, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

The hearing has been on and off for 15 months, on whether Freshwater will be be fired. The Mount Vernon School Board voted to fire him in 2008 after the allegations first came to light, but state law entitled him to the hearing.

Photo: John Freshwater enters the hearing room Oct. 2008.

Some parents have voiced outrage that the teacher allegedly handed out surveys to students asking how important religion is to them. Freshwater initially denied it, but when he was shown two of the completed surveys during the hearing, he responded "it appears like you have gone through my room and taken some stuff," the paper reported.

Among the other allegations are that the teacher repeatedly told students that science wasn't fact and pushed a creationist agenda. He is also accused of citing a study that posited the possibility of a gene for homosexuality as an example of the fallibility of science, according to The New York Times.

"Science is wrong," Mr. Freshwater was reported as saying, "because the Bible states that homosexuality is a sin, and so anyone who is gay chooses to be gay and is therefore a sinner."

The controversy has divided the small town near Columbus. After he was suspended without pay, many students showed up at school wearing t-shirts with "I support Mr. Freshwater — God" on the front.

The school district settled a lawsuit in Aug. 2008 with the parents of one student, Zachary Dennis, who says that Freshwater burned him with a coil, and agreed to pay his family $5,502 and their attorneys $115,500. Certainly, the lawyers' prayers were answered.

The hearing is scheduled to wrap up Friday, Jan. 22, but a decision on Freshwater's fate isn't expected for a few months after that.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Does Freshwater have a right to bring his religious views into the classroom or did he go too far?

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by ThePaqRat October 17, 2011 4:59 PM EDT: It would be sweet if this guy were to receive a Darwin Award.; Reply to this comment


by skyowner October 16, 2011 5:41 PM EDT: This is assault and battery. Send this guy to jail.; Reply to this comment


by accuracycounts January 11, 2011 11:30 PM EST: This story is missing something: a reasonable account of Mr. Freshwater's explaination of his actions. "Branding" would not be tolerated by any school board, be it a cross or any other symbol. Would this scientific experiment have been acceptable if it wasn't a cross? Was it voluntary, temporary, and instructive? Why did this teacher have a lot of grass roots support?; Reply to this comment


by cyclingpete January 11, 2011 11:46 AM EST: And WHY is he wearing glasses? Glasses were created based on science. Why didn't "GOD" just make his eyes perfect? Religous FREAK!; Reply to this comment


by cepe10-2009 January 11, 2011 11:04 AM EST: The guy is a liar, he has no business indoctrinating students in a public school with his personal religious beliefs. How he kept his job so long just shows how backwards this community must be.; Reply to this comment


by jmau99999 October 28, 2010 11:04 PM EDT: Students are not taught to believe in evolution. They are asked to hear the evidence showing that the earth is very old and that the diversity of life is a result of natural selection. Belief is a personal matter between the students and their parents.; Reply to this comment


by mountvernon1805 January 23, 2010 9:33 PM EST: Carlin DeGuerin Miller,

Your article contains significant errors/omissions. The problems with the article include, but are not limited to:

The article states: ?Freshwater, a Mount Vernon Middle School science teacher, admits burning the students [?]?

Freshwater has not stated that he burned anyone. He has repeatedly stated that he did not burn or brand anyone. Take for example the statement he made to the Mount Vernon Board of Education on August 4, 2008: ?I have never, never, branded or burned a person.? (Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgtfePmIkPQ )

The article states: ?Some parents were also outraged that Freshwater allegedly handed out surveys to students asking them how important religion was to them. Freshwater initially denied it [?]?

This incorrectly implies that Freshwater later changed his testimony. Freshwater never acknowledged using the survey. Further, Freshwater?s attorney, Kelly Hamilton, stated that he will be objecting to the documents? admission unless the board brings someone to authenticate them. (See my article ?Missing Evidence in John Freshwater Hearing.?)

http://www.accountabilityinthemedia.com/2010/01/john-freshwater-hearing-missing.html

The article states: ?The School district settled a lawsuit in Aug. 2008 with the parents of one student Zachary Dennis, who says that Freshwater burned him with the Tesla coil, and agreed to pay his family $5,502 and their attorneys $115,500.?

There was no settlement in August of 2008. There was, however, a partial settlement in August 2009. The way the partial settlement was handled was that it provided money to the Dennis family but allowed the lawsuit to continue on the condition that the names of some of the people in the lawsuit are removed. The partial settlement states that the school is still liable for the teacher at the center of their lawsuit. (See my article ?Media Didn?t Tell Whole Story about ?Settlement.??)

http://www.accountabilityinthemedia.com/2009/09/media-didnt-tell-whole-story-about.html

The article focused on providing the allegations made against Freshwater but did little to explain counter evidence:

The allegation of the Tesla coil burn: Although this allegation resurfaced, it is an issue that was already officially resolved by the school in January 2008. Other teachers at the school also allowed students to touch the spark from the Tesla coil without causing any harm to the students. (See my article ?Tesla Coil Matter Was Officially Resolved January 2008.?)

http://www.accountabilityinthemedia.com/2009/10/tesla-coil-matter-was-officially.html

The allegation regarding talking about the issue of homosexuality in class: This is an allegation made by just one person?Jim Stockdale. Freshwater?s response to it was that he never made the statement that Jim Stockdale credited to him about gays; Stockdale may have overheard a conversation Freshwater had with other teachers regarding a magazine article about the gay gene. (See my article ?John Freshwater: Investigation Didn?t Follow Contract.?)

http://www.accountabilityinthemedia.com/2009/12/john-freshwater-investigation-didnt.html

As far as Freshwater?s teaching abilities go?his students met and exceeded state standards on the OAT test. (See my article ?Re-teaching John Freshwater?s Ace Students.?)

http://www.accountabilityinthemedia.com/2009/07/re-teaching-john-freshwaters-ace.html

Something that I couldn?t find any mention of in the article was the issue that started the controversy regarding Freshwater?the Bible on his desk.; Reply to this comment

by Paul_Ire January 23, 2010 6:01 AM EST

This man should go to jail for mental and physical abuse. Pushing a religious agenda in a science class ruins the development of influential children and opens the doors for a life of mental bondage bound by the rules of an evil corporation obsessed by self preservation.

The catholic church's policy on how to handle paedophile activity was updated by the current CEO, the document is called "Crimen Sollicitationis". This policy of self preservation allowed paedophile priest to continue in their depraved activities for in some cases 30 years or more. See the documentary "Deliver Us From Evil", a confession from one such priest.

The arrogance of this "teacher" reminds me of Bill Buckingham who tried to undermine the teaching of evolution in Dover (Dover Vs Kitzmiller), later this religious bigot while on trial admitted that he knows nothing about evolution and nothing of Intelligent Design. He lied to cover his motivations. The whole staory is here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/beta/evolution/intelligent-design-trial.html

Quote by Blaise Pascal. "Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions".

Evolution is fact, the underlying mechanics has been reinforced by observations in many different sciences. Those who choose creation over fact are :
1: victims of mental abuse and are now trapped in religious bondage.
2: Mentally challenged, below average IQ and without the ability to grasp anything more complicated than Zeus's brother.
3: Liars and hypocrites with another agenda. Ted Haggart was a gay junkie lining his pockets.

Quote by Stephen Roberts. "I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours".

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by mitowngirl January 11, 2011 3:29 PM EST: Just a quick correction, it is Darwin's "theory of evolution" that is taught, not the "fact of evolution"

by seabiscuit1958 January 22, 2010 3:58 PM EST

The Bible is a book of faith and at the time it was written there was no such thing as scientific thought.

I live in Mt. Vernon but send my children to a private Catholic school in Newark 25 miles away. In that school, there is a class on Religion and a class on Science. Evolution is taught in Science class.

I don't want a Science teacher teaching Religion nor do I want a Religion teacher teaching Science.

Freshwater's so-called Christian supporters had signs in their yard that say "The student goes......we support John Freshwater....the Bible stays.

What does that say about their brand of Christianity???? Scares me!

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by cyclingpete January 11, 2011 11:50 AM EST: Why dont those families with those signs send their kids to private christian schools? Dont they understand teh concept of the public school system?


by bciss January 21, 2010 5:39 PM EST: Well he is not even worth much of a response. You either recognize a fear based ignorant person for what they are and are incapable of ever seeing. Or you are one of them and agree. You can't argue with ignorant. Especially when they think they have some idiotic notion of God on their side.; Reply to this comment