TRI In The News
Critical Thinking Encouraged?
From One News Now
Original article available here
The Rutherford Institute is appealing the case of a Christian teacher in Ohio who was allegedly fired for teaching students to think critically about evolution theories (See earlier story). As one attorney points out, the science teacher was only doing his job.
Mount Vernon District teacher John Freshwater was suspended in 2008 and fired in 2010 for allegedly injecting religion into the classroom. The school board and a county judge both upheld the action against him. But John Whitehead of The Rutherford Institute is appealing to the Fifth Circuit.
"Really, I think the case boiled down to the suspension [when] he refused to take a Bible off his desk," he suggests. "But there are cases upholding the right of teachers to have religious literature on their desk, as long as they don't teach from it."
The board accused Freshwater of casting doubt on the accuracy and veracity of science because he referred to some materials that critique evolution, even though he also referenced movies that uphold the theory. Whitehead says that is what teachers are supposed to do.
"The Supreme Court 50 years ago upheld the right of academic freedom of teachers to question and [pass] on knowledge to students. We don't want our kids graduating from school ignorant that there may be some questions about certain things that are taught ... that's why he's there," the attorney contends. "So I think this is a significant case for academic freedom."
When the science teacher was suspended, students supported Freshwater by carrying Bibles to class and wearing T-shirts with crosses.
