Crazy Cross-Branding Teacher Almost Fired

***UPDATE***: He hasn’t been fired, despite what the AP article says. But the process has begun. (Thanks to RBH for pointing this out.)

…

The post title says it all.

John Freshwater, the crazy science teacher who was burning crosses into his students’ arms, has been (almost) fired.

Yesterday, the five-member school board voted unanimously to (almost) get rid of him:

The school board of a small central Ohio community voted unanimously Friday to fire a teacher accused of preaching his Christian beliefs despite staff complaints and using a device to burn the image of a cross on students’ arms.

School board members voted 5-0 to fire Mount Vernon Middle School science teacher John Freshwater. Board attorney David Millstone said Freshwater is entitled to a hearing to challenge the dismissal.

He’ll likely appeal. I’d be shocked if he was reinstated.

I’m curious whether any school district would hire him now… only because I worry that some district would.

Even without the cross burning incident, his support of Intelligent Design and Creationism is indication enough that he shouldn’t be teaching Science.

(via Unscrewing the Inscrutable)

[tags]atheist, atheism, Christianity, fundamentalist[/tags]

Jeff Satterley

He can always move to Louisiana…
RBH

No, he has not been fired. The board of education initiated the termination process, but it has not been completed yet. See Panda’s Thumb for the story.
Tracy

Thank goodness! If I had been a parent who’s child had been harmed, I’d’ve brought him up on charges with the police!
Darryl

How has this nation lasted so long with such people teaching its children? There are so many backward people across this country that I’m surprised we haven’t destroyed ourselves by now. I guess I was lucky growing up in California–I never once had a teacher even mention religion in any class except for maybe poetry until I got to the University and studied philosophy.
Tim Van Haitsma

My guess is he ends up on staff at a christian school.
mfg

heres the brand; dispatch.com has decent coverage; this story goes back years
thoughtcounts Z

I second what Tracy said. They’re just going to fire him? How about arresting him for assault or something? There’s nothing in the article about any criminal charges, though it sounds like that should have happened last December.
The Unbrainwashed

I imagine they’ve only decided to fire him because of the burning incident. He crossed the line by physically assaulting a student and even a bunch of ignorant hicks can’t stand for that. I doubt he would’ve been fired, in that kind of town, for just supporting the teaching of ID.
Agersomnia

Burning crosses on students arms?

That’s assault! he shouldn’t just be fired. He should be in jail, with a 250lbs. gay jew wrestler with an obsession for Christian fanatics, or something akin to that. If there is something I hate, is those who abuse power with children and kids, or teens, even.
TheHallowPrince

I grew up in Mt Vernon and I heard plenty of horror stories about him. My parents knew him and knew his bullshit too. Mt. Vernon is a VERY christian little city and I was surprised to see this vote.

The other day I drove into Mt. Vernon and some guy had bought a sign for his yard that said “THE BIBLE STAY, FRESHWATER STAYS, THE SCHOOLBOARD GOES – – – MT. VERNON NEEDS TO FINISH THE CREATION/EVOLUTION DEBATE TODAY!”

I was like… oh gawd, what a fucking idiot!!!