Freshwater and the Cross
For everyone who claims that all home schooling families are crazy fundies who lock their kids in the basement and are secretly abusing them and using home school as a way to cover it up, I present you with exhibit A:
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.
A science teacher burned crosses into his students arms in class. Oh but don’t worry, he’s been described as a great guy.
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 for a story published Friday.
Oh sure, there was that one little lapse where he BURNED CROSSES INTO THE STUDENTS ARMS IN THE CLASSROOM. But other than that, he’s a great teacher. Certified in science, has been teaching it for 21 years, and taught his students creationism. For who knows how many years before they finally fired him.
The photo of the burn on one student is interesting. At first it seemed like maybe just skin discoloration in a pattern that happens to be cross-like. However if you look closely you can see the skin all around this is much paler white than the rest of the arm. It does resemble the skin after a sunburn and peeling.
The investigation is still going on, but if it is correct the guy clearly has some issues. Freshwater claims he burned X’s into their arms, not crosses. As if that excuses the fact that he burned anything at all into their arms period. I know this really is not a home school verses public school issue. I just like reminding the people who leave comments that get deleted immediately that being crazy is a human trait, not just a home schooling one.
*Edit to add another news article on this case here. This one has more detail about exactly what he was teaching his students in the school.
Eighth-graders who were taught by John Freshwater frequently had to be re-taught in high school what they were supposed to have learned in Freshwater’s class, according to outside investigators hired by the district.
For 11 years, other teachers in the school district and people in the community complained about Freshwater preaching his Christian beliefs in class and slamming scientific theories, a school administrator told investigators.
education, teacher, religion, news
June 22nd, 2008 at 8:34 am
UGH! Idiot. THAT spread the love of Jesus - I am a Christian, I do teach my children that God crated the universe — BUT I DON’T GO AROUND BRANDING KIDS IN MY CO-OP!!! How DARE he mark children like that???!! I also don’t bash scientific theory (after all God created science and scientific laws).
You are absoultly right - that isn’t a Christian issue - that’s a people are NUTS issue - and an issue with tenure and teachers (making it hard to get rid of horrid teachers)
June 22nd, 2008 at 6:14 pm
I’m so grateful to the good Lord that we’re free to homeschool. Thank GOD! This is just another example of why I am my childrens best teacher.
This teacher, Christian or not, is the nut here. You just don’t know what people will do when they’re given the time to leave their mark on your child, emotionally, psychologically, or in this case physically.
Let the world think we’re weird for homeschooling! Let them say what they will. It isn’t going to bother me one bit! lol
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:01 am
Isn’t that always how criminals are presented in the media? They interview the friends and family of some serial killer, and in spite of the fact that he has 40 bodies buried in his crawl space and used some of his victims to make Jambalaya- “He was really a great guy”.
Of course, the problem with predators is that they blend in so well, taking on whatever form they believe will get them closest to a vulnerable target- they’ll call themselves Mother Theresa’s grandson if folks’ll buy it. There is very little in the way of screening folks who want to become teachers- schools are like a Golden Corral for child predators.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:08 am
Now, where are the cries for closer monitoring of public schools? You know it’s just a place where idiots and fruitcakes can indoctrinate a captive audience of mushy brains. Call the legislature. Call the media. Call C.P.S.
Something needs to be done about these fanatics!
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:00 am
[...] post on the crazy teacher branding students has been picked up by him as yet another anti-home schooling rant. Apparently when I said I know [...]
June 23rd, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I read a couple articles on Freshwater as well, and I’m just appalled. Unfortunately, it’s not just directed at him. I’m also irritated that 1) this guy got away with this for over 11 YEARS! What the heck was the school board/administration doing?! 2) That people are acting like he’s a “typical Christian”, which he most certainly is not. 3) People will look at this and say, “This is an isolated incident! Schools are still the best option!” However, if some sort of abuse like this happens with a homeschooling child, it’s assumed to be the norm. I guess you can rationalize anything to fit your world view.