Christian Teacher Fired Over Alleged 'Cross' Burning Incident

viking »

Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:23 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Mathetes,
You know I respect your comments so I hope you take this response in that light. you are right that one article does not tell the whole story. you present some quotes from Freshwater's pastor. While he may sincerely believe the statements he made they are documented to be wrong in both photographic and written evidence.
You cite the pastor's claim that neither the student nor his parents complained. When in fact the opposite is true as documented in court filings and reported by local newspapers. Below is part of a statement sent to the press by the parents.
We are religious people, but we were offended when Mr. Freshwater burned a cross onto the arm of our child. This was done in science class in December 2007, where an electric shock machine was used to burn our child. The burn was severe enough that our child awoke that night with severe pain, and the cross remained there for several weeks. … We have tried to keep this a private matter and hesitate to tell the whole story to the media for fear that we will be retaliated against.
also court documents show
The boy's parents complained to school administrators, who say they told Freshwater not to do it again. Four months after the family complained and just after they hired an attorney, school officials told Freshwater he had to remove all religious items from his classroom, including a personal Bible he had on his desk. Freshwater has refused to remove his Bible but did take down the other items. http://dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/06/18/bible_teacher.html?sid=101
At best Freshwater's pastor was naively trusting in Freshwater and sacrificed his own credibility in consequence. At worst he is complicit in attempting to justify the actions of this person.
In regards the question of abuse I would ask you to view the photograph of the injury to the student's arm at
http://ap.google.com/article/
ALeqM5g1SluWTuZ9ddhhJI06SSqutTwstgD91E6U3O0
Also if you follow up on the device itself you will find that the manufacturer specifically warns against bringing it in contact with flesh. The device is a leak detector which has legitimate use in a science classroom of which branding students is not one. The fact that he got away with it for 20 years does not absolve him of this abuse it only shows that the school was delinquent in their duty. As a High School Principal if I allowed this to have occurred not only should the teacher be fired I should be as well.

viking »

Wed Jul 02, 2008 11:11 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Mckunkel20,
I stand rebuked if you took my words to judge the state of this man's salvation. That was not my intent. Rather I hoped to urge caution on Argyle86 to ascribe righteousness to someone who has made demonstrably false statements about the affair and even whose local defender admits the "cross burning incident"

mkunkel20 »

Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:17 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Viking how can You judge this man to be a false teacher and question his salvation with your scripture? You forgot to add in the scriptures about do not judge

Romans 17-19Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."

mathetes »

Wed Jul 02, 2008 5:29 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Viking,

Since you mentioned the fired science teacher here as well as the other article forum, I will post this in both places.

It seems much was left out of the article, or at least other reporters were able to learn much more (see http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jun/08062407.html). Freshwater did mention ID once some time back, and after being told not to do that, he has not mentioned it again.

The students volunteered for the demonstration of the Tesla coil, as they have done for over 20 years. Neither the student nor his parents complained to anyone (the alleged incident happened in December); makes one wonder if they were not recruited.

I will not defend any abuse, but the demonstration using volunteers does not sound like abuse. Given the other charges (he led a closing prayer at a meeting of the FCA which he sponsors), I tend to think it more about his religious beliefs/practices than any abuse or even poor teaching (note the last paragraph).

viking »

Fri Jun 27, 2008 3:32 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 2

Argyle86,
I offer you the words of Christ to reflect on in regards to this man.

7:15-20 - "Be on your guard against false religious teachers, who come to you dressed up as sheep but are really greedy wolves. You can tell them by their fruit. Do you pick a bunch of grapes from a thorn-bush or figs from a clump of thistles? Every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree is incapable of producing bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. The tree that fails to produce good fruit is cut down and burnt. So you may know men by their fruit."

7:21 - "It is not everyone who keeps saying to me 'Lord, Lord' who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the man who actually does my Heavenly Father's will.

7:22-23 - "In 'that day' many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we preach in your name, didn't we cast out devils in your name, and do many great things in your name?' Then I shall tell them plainly, 'I have never known you. Go away from me, you have worked on the side of evil!'"

argyle86 »

Thu Jun 26, 2008 4:51 pm Agree: 2   Disagree: 1

Blessed are those persecuted for the sake of our savior's name.

viking »

Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:56 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 1

Hi all,
Believer you were right something was left out. Further reports provide photographic evidence corroborated by independent investigation and by Freshwaters own friend and advocate that he was not honest about his conduct.

The school board relied on an independent investigation from H.R. On Call Inc. an image of one student's arm can be found at http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g1SluWTuZ9ddhhJI06SSqutTwstgD91E2QF00

and 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

Just the act of burning the students' arms with a device not designed or approved for such a purpose (can you imagine a science lab supply company selling such a device. Under added features "Can also be used to inscribe symbols into students' flesh")should have been enough for his firing.

Given his willingness to make false statements about one area of the affair why should we believe his claims in any other. I believe he was a fanatic who misused his position as a teacher to promote his personal religious beliefs contrary to his agreement to teach in a public school and in opposition to the lawful directives of his superiors. In so doing he was in conflict not only with human law but also with Paul's instruction to submit to authority.
I also believe that he is attempting to misuse Christianity as a shield for his own bad acts. I believe that all true Christians must denounce this behavior as foreign to the teachings of Christ and unacceptable to us.

MuggleBorn »

Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:08 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

believer,

I am totally with you on this one. I was completely confused by the nebulous content of the article. I think I'll be looking for other sources of this. Claims on both side are "odd" to say the least. It wouldn't surprise me if officials were acting on phony claims of abuse, but it would be nice to know a little more detail of the experiment.

If this turned out to be something where students drew little "contact points" on their arms and then passed a uA electrical current to eachother using a battery source, then admin/teacher claims of religious-related abuse would be ... stupid.

Next, they would be making claims against Christian Grade-school English teachers that they're hiding religious symbols in the alphabet.

igh »

Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:28 am Agree: 6   Disagree: 0

Father in the name of Jesus we lift up this brave teacher and all those who with a pure heart follow you. That we fight with Truth and Righteousness, all the ways of yours to prove what is right and stand against the liars who would attack your children. By this all see that Justice is in our hearts and yours, not the perversion of the world. There is a difference and all the world is watching. May you be Glorified Father through your Son , the Justifier of us all. Amen.

believer »

Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:05 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

Am I the only person who thinks that there is something were not being told about this whole situation. I just get this gut feeling that says either one or both parties have got something going on, a hidden agenda, or something most of us are not aware of. Maybe because he is such an outside the box kind of teacher who was rocking the boat more than the adminstration cared for and they used this as a good way to get him out of the boat? I don't know but something doesn't jive here for me.

wbmoore »

Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:55 pm Agree: 3   Disagree: 1

Sounds like the same sort of thing they did to Christ. This man is being persecuted for his religious beliefs, not his science or his teaching.

moodman »

Mon Jun 23, 2008 5:35 pm Agree: 2   Disagree: 1

As a teacher, I am alarmed at what the implications are of this situation. In other countries, this kind of persecution starts EXACTLY like this. Spurious accusations are made, and then there are a few "sacrificial lambs", and before you know it, all religious freedom of expression is extinguished. I have no doubt this man is innocent, and I hope that he wins and sues that school district for all he can get. His name has been dragged through the mud, and that school district deserves severe punishment.