Teacher fired opinions please

[Charlie P]

School administrators in Ohio voted Friday to begin the process of firing a middle school teacher accused of burning a cross into a student's arm and refusing to keep his religious beliefs out of the classroom.




A middle school student in Ohio says his teacher branded a cross on his arm.
[/align][/align] [/align][/align][/align]The Mount Vernon School Board passed a resolution to terminate the employment of John Freshwater, an eighth-grade science teacher for the past 21 years.
Freshwater, according to an independent report, used an electrostatic device to mark a cross on the arm of one of his students, causing pain to the student the night of the incident and leaving a mark that lasted for approximately three weeks.
According to the Ohio Department of Education, the student's family has filed a lawsuit.
Freshwater was also reprimanded several times for refusing to move his Bible from his classroom desk and teaching creationism alongside evolution, according to the 15-page independent report. The report also cites evidence that Mr. Freshwater told his students that "science is wrong 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 Board of Education of the Mount Vernon City School District met in special session Friday to address the case.
Freshwater has the option to contest the process by requesting a formal hearing before the Board of Education. Neither Freshwater nor his attorney could be reached by CNN for comment.

[salukipv1]

how does a teacher brand a student?

if this is true certainly should be fired, I just don't know how this occurs? witnesses?

[don128]

I think the teacher should be arrested, and the lawsuit should be hefty. Also, for the parent, a little knuckle branding would possibly be in order for the teacher.

[Charlie P]

I went to a couple religious sites and they don't even mention the branding, stating it only had to do with displaying the ten Commnadments and having a bible on his desk, and not teaching the curriculim.

[Aught Six]

My opinion is that the teacher is screwed...

[Alpha Capo]

that teacher sounds like a nutcase.....maybee someone should mark him with an upside down cross or or 666 and see how he likes it.

[Alsatian]

Well, leave the religion out of it and just focus on the branding aspect. Teacher can't do that. Teaching career over. Very simple. Don't get distracted by the religion component. The guy is a nut case. All sorts of grounds exist for people to obsess about -- religion is just one of them.

[DuckJunkie]

ORIGINAL: salukipv1

how does a teacher brand a student?

I was wondering the same thing, if its true thats pretty impressive.



In any case the teacher made a boo boo.

[SP10]

ORIGINAL: Charlie P

I went to a couple religious sites and they don't even mention the branding, stating it only had to do with displaying the ten Commnadments and having a bible on his desk, and not teaching the curriculim.

I am not surprised. The latest claim that the fundamentalists are making is that teachingevolution promotes immorality and that it should be replaced with biblical creationism in the classroom since only the bible contains moral absolutes. They are not eager to have the values that lead to burning a cross onto thearm of a child by a creationist teacherexposed.

[Alpha Capo]

ORIGINAL: DuckJunkie

I was wondering the same thing, if its true thats pretty impressive.



In any case the teacher made a boo boo.

didnt you guys read the first post????:

Freshwater, an eighth-grade science teacher for the past 21 years.
Freshwater, according to an independent report, used an electrostatic device to mark a cross on the arm of one of his students, causing pain to the student the night of the incident and leaving a mark that lasted for approximately three weeks.

he was probably doing an experiment with the device or something