TRI In The News
Fired Teacher Victorious on One Front
7/22/2011
TRI IN THE NEWS: FIRED TEACHER VICTORIOUS ON ONE FRONT
From One News Now
Original article available here.
The Ohio Department of Education has agreed to remove a letter of admonishment from the professional record of a Christian public school teacher who was terminated.
Eighth-grade science teacher John Freshwater was suspended in 2008 and officially fired in 2010 because he allegedly injected religion into the classroom. The Mount Vernon Middle School teacher encouraged his students to think critically about scientific theories such as evolution.
Rita Dunaway is The Rutherford Institute attorney representing Freshwater. "It certainly looks to us that at the heart of this is Mr. Freshwater's faith -- and the fact that he has been open about his faith and not hidden it from anyone," explains the attorney.
Up until now, Dunaway says the state's Department of Education has been relentless in pursuing Freshwater even after his firing -- but that may be over.
"What their letter to me stated is that if they do determine further disciplinary action is warranted that they will be in touch and let us know," she offers. "So I'm anticipating that this will be the end of that admonishment on Mr. Freshwater's record."
Freshwater is appealing his termination in state court, asserting that his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated. He also had been accused of using an electrical laboratory instrument to burn the image of a cross on students' arms.
