Righting 1st Amendment Wrongs
Of Floodwater and Freshwater
With the floods raging out in Iowa and surrounding states, there are Freshwater troubles in Ohio, too. The Freshwater problem in Ohio is a person, John Freshwater. I have posted several articles about this case. Briefly, he is a middle school science teacher who dared to say no to his principal when he was told to remove his Bible from the top of his desk. Subsequently to Mr. Freshwater's refusal to remove his
Bible, a number of other issues surfaced including his posting tof he Ten Commandments in a collage that Mr. Freshwater had displayed in his classroom. The school board placed a monitor in his classroom in April, they hired an investigator and will be meeting tomorrow (Friday) to review the investigator's (HR On Call, Inc.) report and decide what disciplinary action, if any, they will take against Mr. Freshwater.
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I am deeply saddened and troubled, though not surprised, by the action that the Mount Vernon school board will take with respect to John Freshwater. I believe that the Mount Vernon school board will decide to terminate middle school science 21 year veteran teacher John Freshwater at tomorrow’s (Friday’s) school board meeting. I stand stunned, shocked and ashamed of how far my country has plummeted from the lofty values and principles of the nation built by our founding fathers.
Today our failed education system is held in a full-Nelson stranglehold by the liberal elite who mismanage the state and federal bureaucratic mazes called departments of (anything but) education. They have been very successful in transforming our schools into indoctrination centers for secular humanistic thought and doctrine and preparing our children for being good little automatons or puppets of the state. Freshwater is not with the program, so he must go.
See two online articles in today's Columbus Dispatch, "Teacher sued over religious 'branding.'" and "Report: Science teacher mixed religion, class."
REASONS FOR THE TERMINATION
Why do I believe that Freshwater will be evaporated? First, the school board will cave to the pressure brought on by the lawsuit by parents of a middle school student, which was filed Friday the 13th. The school board will want to get rid of the problem (Freshwater) and will try to settle their portion of the lawsuit out of court. Second, the findings of the investigator’s, who were hired by the Mount Vernon school board, report clearly show that the investigators found evidence to support most of the allegations against John Freshwater. Besides, the findings of the investigators were suspiciously or conveniently obtained by the Columbus Dispatch. The Dispatch posted the 15-page report online this evening.
I read the entire report and here is what I gleaned from what the investigators concluded:
Mr. Freshwater taught religious beliefs in his classes. This was evidenced, for example, by his questioning the veracity of the theory of evolution, teaching some shortcomings, teaching creationism and intelligent design.
Mr. Freshwater opined to his class that homosexuality was wrongful behavior according to the Judeo-Christian Bible. Any homosexual is such by choice. Homosexual behavior is sinful.
Mr. Freshwater misused an electrostatic device by not following manufacturer’s instructions. Crosses were “burned” onto the skins of some of the students, though the marks disappeared within 3-4 weeks and no permanent damage was done. No evidence, however, was found to support any intent to harm the children.
Mr. Freshwater went beyond merely monitoring an after school extracurricular activity, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) group by actively participating in the meetings.
Mr. Freshwater was insubordinate when he refused to remove all “religious materials” from his classroom as ordered by his principal. These “banned” materials included his personal bible, other bibles, a poster of Colin Powell with a scriptural verse about leadership.
CONCLUSION
The only thing Mr. Freshwater is really guilty of is speaking the truth. In 2008 America I guess that is now wrong. How dare he buck the secular humanistic crowd, creed and system! Doesn’t he know that the secular humanist religion-in-disguise has replaced Christianity, Jesus Christ and God in the taxpayer funded government schools? There is not room enough for both worldviews. All matter of thought and ideas no matter how foreign or vile are tolerated, yet do not poison the minds of America’s children by mentioning or acknowledging God. How dreadfully far removed from the original framers of America and its Constitution!
ACTION NEEDED
Mr. Freshwater should file a civil rights lawsuit against the Mount Vernon school board, the Ohio Department of Education and the federal Department of Education for wrongful termination due to institutionalized discrimination against himself and all Christians. The foolish, nonexistent (at least in the U.S. Constitution), and wrong so-called "separation of church and state" notion must be abolished once and for all.
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Are you serious that you think it is OK for a teacher to actually use a device to burn a cross on a students arm in public school?? Are you kidding me??
ReplyDeleteHow on God's green earth can you excuse this bully's abuse of these kids? Why hasn't he been brought up on criminal charges?
ReplyDeleteThe only thing Mr. Freshwater is really guilty of is speaking the truth.
No, he didn't speak the truth. He redacted copies of creationist handouts to eliminate overt references to God - at least he did so for the ones he showed to the administration. The ones he handed out in class hadn't been redacted. So yes, Freshwater lied, and he lied big.
You don't do yourself or Christ any favors by defending this loon.
-anon2
I'm a conservative as well, but Freshwater is a nutcase and does more harm than good to conservatives.
ReplyDeleteHow can you support a teacher that effectively "brands" a young student? I can't imagine you being happy if a teacher branded a "star of David" or a Muslim Crescent in your son or daughters arm. Using your analysis, this would also only be exercising freedom of speech and religion as well.
Having a bible on a desk is one thing, but branding a student that has been entrusted in your class is another.
He deserves to be fired. There are much better and honorable causes for true conservatives to rally around. Freshwater is not one of them.
Anon -
ReplyDeleteFreshwater may have not used the device according to manufacturer's instruction, but that device is used in many classrooms as a teaching tool. He had no intention to hurt anyone.
Jonathan -
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment.
This man did not "brand" anyone. The marks disappeared within 2-3 weeks. I don't know the circumstances of the case. There is a lawsuit pending maybe we should wait for a trial before we make a final judgment.
The electrostatic device was not the only concern in this case. Much of it revolves around Freshwater's free exercise of his faith. That is the bigger issue that conservatives and Christians should rally around . . .