{"id":789,"date":"2008-07-08T15:58:49","date_gmt":"2008-07-08T15:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/news\/2008\/07\/us-town-split-after-teacher-fi.php"},"modified":"2008-07-08T15:58:49","modified_gmt":"2008-07-08T15:58:49","slug":"us-town-split-after-teacher-fi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2008\/07\/us-town-split-after-teacher-fi","title":{"rendered":"US Town Split After Teacher Fired for Introducing Christian Beliefs in Science Class"},"content":{"rendered":"

Associated Press <\/strong>
\nMount Vernon, Ohio – The decision to fire a science teacher accused of preaching his Christian beliefs in the classroom and burning crosses on students’ arms has divided residents of this Ohio town and rekindled the debate over the separation of church and state.
\nTeacher John Freshwater, 52, was fired last month after an outside consulting firm released a report concluding that he taught creationism and was insubordinate in failing to remove a Bible and other religious materials from his classroom at Mount Vernon Middle School.
\nCreationism is a religious belief that the universe and human life were created by a deity, as opposed to the scientific theory of evolution.
\nMount Vernon, a small city in central Ohio surrounded by farmland, is dotted by churches of just about every denomination. The town has a strong evangelical presence.
\nSome residents consider Freshwater a courageous fighter for religious freedom. Others say he has brazenly violated the separation of church and state, as required by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
\n“This is going to be a mess,” said Dr. Allan Bazzoli, who has written letters to the local newspaper criticizing Freshwater. “Resident against resident, and worse, student against student.”
\nFreshwater’s supporters have rallied on the town’s square urging school board members to resign.
\nA much-viewed sign about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from town reads: “If the Bible goes, the school board should follow.”
\n“The Bible, that should be OK to have,” said James Mills, 25, a former student of Freshwater. “Isn’t it in the Constitution that we have freedom of religion?”
\nFreshwater, who has filed an appeal with the school board over his firing, said Monday he’s disappointed with the way the investigation was conducted. His appeals hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26.
\n“They used half-truths. They didn’t interview people who had been in my classroom,” he said.
\nFreshwater likely will be suspended without pay during the appeals process, which could extend into the fall, said David Millstone, the school board’s attorney.
\nMessages seeking comment were left with middle school Principal William White and other school administrators.
\nFreshwater has served as a science teacher and wrestling and football coach in Mount Vernon City Schools since 1987. In their report, investigators noted that some students described him as a great guy.
\nSome residents blame school leaders for letting the situation come to a boil. Officials knew that Freshwater used a science tool to burn images of a cross on students’ arms in December, according to findings by outside investigators.
\n“I think things were just overlooked and overlooked and overlooked, and then it just came to a head,” said Kelly Montgomery, whose son was a student in Freshwater’s class a few years ago. “It’s been terrible for the whole community.”
\nFreshwater told investigators he simply was trying to demonstrate the device on three to eight students and described the images an “X” not a cross. But pictures show the images depict a cross, the report said.
\nCopyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Associated Press Mount Vernon, Ohio – The decision to fire a science teacher accused of preaching his Christian beliefs in the classroom and burning crosses on students’ arms has divided residents of this Ohio town and rekindled the debate over the separation of church and state. 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