Report: Ohio teacher burned cross on kids' arms

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (AP) - A public school teacher preached his Christian beliefs despite complaints by other teachers and administrators and used a device to burn the image of a cross on students' arms, according to a report by independent investigators.

Mount Vernon Middle School teacher John Freshwater also taught creationism in his science class and was insubordinate in failing to remove a Bible and other religious materials from his classroom, the report said.

School board members were scheduled to meet Friday afternoon to discuss the findings by consulting firm H.R. On Call Inc., hired by the district to investigate. The report was released Thursday.

School Superintendent Stephen Short wouldn't comment on the report before Friday's meeting, his office said. A message seeking comment was left for Freshwater's attorney, Roger Weaver.

The report comes one week after a family filed a federal lawsuit in Columbus against Freshwater and the school district, saying Freshwater burned a cross on their child's arm that remained for three or four weeks.

Freshwater's friend Dave Daubenmire defended him.

"With the exception of the cross-burning episode ... I believe John Freshwater is teaching the values of the parents in the Mount Vernon school district," he told The Columbus Dispatch in a story published Friday.

Several students interviewed by investigators described Freshwater, who has been employed by the school district for 21 years, as a great guy.

But Lynda Weston, the district's director of teaching and learning, told investigators that she has dealt with complaints about Freshwater for much of her 11-year term at the district, the report said.

A former superintendent, Jeff Maley, said he tried to find another position for Freshwater but couldn't because Freshwater was certified only in science, the report said.

Freshwater used a science tool known as a high-frequency generator to burn images of a cross on students' arms in December, the report said. Freshwater told investigators he simply was trying to demonstrate the device on several students and described the images as an "X," not a cross. But pictures show the images depict a cross, the report said.

Report: Ohio teacher burned cross on kids' arms

You know, there's not a whole heck of a lot you can put after that and make it work.

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You know times are tough for whites when the only way we win a Supreme Court case is by arguing for the right to run into burning buildings.

This teacher should be fired from his job. Whether the student allowed him to burn the cross into his arm is not the point.
Religion has no place in schools, and this teacher has taken his religious beliefs way beyond what is acceptable.

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I Walk Alone
Every Step I Take I Walk Alone My Winter Storm
Holding Me Awake It's Never Gone When I Walk Alone

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Musical Interlude

An empiricist changes his opinion in light of contrary evidence. An ideologue retains his opinion despite contrary evidence.

Because we all know parents like to burn crosses on the arms of their children!

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I Walk Alone
Every Step I Take I Walk Alone My Winter Storm
Holding Me Awake It's Never Gone When I Walk Alone

Wrong, religion has every place in every school, spirituality and advocation of a certain religion does not. If religion has no place in schools, how will anyone every know that religion even exists outside of what is practiced in the U.S. It is necessary to teach students about different religions in order to understand cultures and values...it's part of social studies curriculum. Now, when you start advocating a certain religion and burning religious symbols into students' arms, then you have a problem.

Religion can, and should be, taught at home. Schools do not need religion, it is not an important thing to teach. Parents can teach their children about religion should they choose to, it is not up to the teacher.

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I Walk Alone
Every Step I Take I Walk Alone My Winter Storm
Holding Me Awake It's Never Gone When I Walk Alone

TEACHING RELIGION IS IN CURRICULUM. And face it, a Muslim family is not going to teach it's kids about the teachings of Christianity and the other way around. Advocating religion or persuading students to a certain religion is not what is needed in schools. Giving students the knowledge of different world religions is necessary to help them understand world cultures and why they differ. There is nothing wrong with teaching students different religions as long as the lesson is information based that is in guidlines with the curriculum. When a teacher begin preaching about a specific religion, then that is grounds for termination. It teaches students that not everyone is like they are and it helps build tolerance for other cultures and religions.

if only it were the case that christians could be equally objective about world religions though, eh?


Listen, im not trying to suppress christian kids. Hell, when I went to HS every year anyone who wanted could go pray around the flagpole did just that. if you want to pray before eating lunch so be it. If you want to read your bible in study hall then righteous. But it's simply not the case that christians teaching religious topics step out from their personal faith enough to provide an equal perspective of these religions. This science teacher is just the example that is in the headlines; there are more still teaching the kids. PUBLIC school is not the place to influence anyone with dogma... ESPECIALLY from teachers. Imagine if a muslim teacher in the deep south started making little muslims out of kids in his otherwise christian community? How long do you think THAT SHIT would last?

This teacher's an idiot. He should have big red "R" branded on his forehead for "Retard." He's not doing anyone nor anything any good with this kind of crap.

I get SO f-ing sick of moron extremists not thinking about how their idiotic behavior is used to describe all Christians BEFORE they get all stupid. He's not supposed to be pushing his religion in public school and he damned-sure isn't supposed to be putting his hands on students.

As far as I'm concerned he should have lost his license (or whatever the hell they have) to teach. Want to preach? Get a job at the church teaching Sunday School. Science class if for learning how to blow shit up.

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- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -

- Among a people generally corrupt liberty cannot long exist. -

- Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny. -

- But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint. - Edmund Burke

thats pretty much how I feel about pelosi liberals. I know tht this guy doesn't represent every christian who happens to be a teacher..

...but i'd be three shades of entertained to see how many we can scrounge up that will tell a classful of kids that belief in Mohammed is no less valid as believing in Jesus Christ. (even though, as irony would have it, the are both prophets of the same god)

I'll tell you what, if that teacher had burned a cross on my kid...I would burn a swastika on him. If he taught creationism in school as a science, I would be in his face refuting his argument and addressing it with the school board.

Why was he tolerated?

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Luminous Beings Are We.

It is inherent to both Islam AND Christianity that they do not recognize any other religion as valid. That's the nature of the beast. Christianity, to my knowledge, does not recognize Muhammed as a prophet of the Judeo-Christian God.

The issue is tolerance. I have no problem with Muslims. I have a problem with the intolerant ones that are intolerant to the point of murdering anyone who has a different view than theirs.

I happen to feel the exact same way about Christians who are intolerant. The fact that I don't believe what they do doesn't mean I don't think they can believe in whatever they want, nor not have a right to exist for those beliefs.

They need to take care of their own asses, respectively, and leave mine to me.

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- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -

- Among a people generally corrupt liberty cannot long exist. -

- Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny. -

- But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint. - Edmund Burke

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Luminous Beings Are We.

What do you think you would prove by "getting in his face?" Nothing. The guys a little on the kooky side. You aren't going to change him and you cannot refute his argument. All that you can really say is science class is for the teaching of science. Sunday School or a theology class is for the teaching of Christianity/religion.

His behavior should not be tolerated in a public school. Teach science or leave. That would be his options if I was on the school board.

__________________
- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -

- Among a people generally corrupt liberty cannot long exist. -

- Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny. -

- But what is liberty without wisdom, and without virtue? It is the greatest of all possible evils; for it is folly, vice, and madness, without tuition or restraint. - Edmund Burke