When religion and teaching don’t mix
Central Ohio is the latest hotspot for lunatic religious types imposing their beliefs on hapless students.
John Freshwater, an 8th grade science teacher in Mount Vernon, has allegedly used an electrostatic device to leave Christian crosses on students’ skin, passed out anti-evolution brochures, and taught his science classes about the meaning of Good Friday and Easter. When administrators told him he had to remove a Bible from his desktop, Freshwater refused, inspiring a student rally on his behalf and an opposing response from the American Civil Liberties Union.
Mount Vernon school officials have arranged for an independent investigation into the allegations against Freshwater, according to the local newspaper. He will continue to teach, but with an administrator present to monitor his behavior.
If the issue were just the presence of a single Bible on his desk, Freshwater would not be in such hot water. As it is, he has several Bibles in his classroom, which he loans out to students. Further, it is clear he uses his role as teacher to impose his religious beliefs on his students. Even if the majority of students share those beliefs, as a public school teacher (not to mention a science teacher) he is not free to introduce religion into the classroom. There’s this little thing called the US Constitution barring that kind of behavior.
Then there’s his using a demonstration device to burn a student deliberately, which is not only unprofessional, but should be grounds for dismissal in and of itself.
Stay tuned for further developments. The religious Right will make hay over this case, using it as yet another example of “the war on Christianity.” They will conveniently ignore the unprofessionalism of this teacher and instead focus on the “anti-religion” aspect. Mark my words.
