And on the seventh day the Ohio Department of Education referee rested. So far the termination hearing for the middle school science teacher, who had the audacity to keep his Bible on his classroom desk, who has been accused of burning or branding a student, and worst of all, who is charged with questioning the “sacred” secular humanist doctrine of evolution is a little closer to
completion.
With the final few weeks of the seemingly never ending Presidential campaign the Freshwater hearing has been out of the spotlight, banished to darkened shadows of oblivion for a time. Now that that one onerous ordeal (Obama’s win) is over, we can once again return to the another egregious matters.
DAY 6
The Freshwater termination hearing continued for the 6th day on Thursday, October 31. Day one and two were held earlier this month. The MountVernonNews.com newspaper’s website reported that another student was called upon to testify. This 17 year old student said that he was also “marked” with a Tesla coil, the electro-static device used by Freshwater and other teachers demonstrating scientific principles. This youth also related that Freshwater related inconsistencies in the theory of evolution and supported alternative explanations to the flawed, yet widely accepted, theory.
Richard Hoppe provides on the Panda’s Thumb blog a summary of the day’s activities. Hoppe personally attended most of the hearing proceedings and reported them on his blog.
DAY 5
The Columbus Dispatch newspaper ran a story on page B3 of its Friday, October 31st paper and on its website regarding what transpired on Day 5 (Thursday, October 30th) at the Freshwater termination hearing. A science teacher in the Mount Vernon High School testified that she had to “re-teach” (or is it reprogram?) the students who matriculated to high school from middle school and who had been previously taught science by Mr. Freshwater. Odd, because last school year (2007-8) it was previously reported that Mr. Freshwater’s science students finished with the highest scores among the middle school science classes on the standardized state test. How dare the students think for themselves? What “evil” this Mr. Freshwater must be to have his students thinking critically regarding the flawed unproven theory of evolution! Does the movie exposé of academic freedom restrictions rampant on our college campuses, which was recently released on DVD, Expelled, No Intelligence Allowed, ring a (school) bell? That same limitation of academic freedom is apparently present in many of America’s elementary, middle and high schools, as well.
Richard Hoppe also summarizes day 5 on the Panda's Thumb blog.
Read more about what went on during DAY FOUR:
Teacher: Students were mistaught
Medical expert testifies at hearing
HEARING TO END IN EARLY 2009
This hearing did not end on Day 6 or October 31, but will be continued in early January of next year. Apparently the attorneys involved in this case have scheduling conflicts.
The expense must be mounting on both sides in the case. The attorneys’ fees for 6 days plus preparation and legal experts must be horrendous. All this over a desire to take away a man’s right to have a Bible on his desk and to live out his faith outside the four walls of the stained glass building. Our founding fathers would freak at this drawn out fiasco.
I don't agree with you. What our founding fathers would be freeking about is that a man thinks he can do, and teach whatever he wants in the public classroom. That he doesn't have to follow the rules and laws that he signed a contract saying he would follow. How would you feel if a Jewish teacher was teaching your child that Jesus is not the son of God??? I think you would have a different tune then. Oh, and burning kids is NOT Ok.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame it's so hard to fire this idiot.
ReplyDelete