Friday, August 28, 2009
Image of Cross Burned into Arm
An Ohio school board has settled with a student who's teacher teacher burned the image of a cross on his arm. Mount Vernon Middle School teacher John Freshwater was fired for sharing his Christian beliefs with classes and teaching creationism. The board will pay the student's family $121,000. The family will only get $5,500. His lawyers will get the rest. Freshwater has filed his own $1 million lawsuit against the district.
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Some corrections to your post:
The “settlement” is only a partial settlement—the lawsuit actually will continue, but some of the people named as defendants are supposed to be removed in return for paying the family the money. (Since the teacher is still listed as a defendant on the lawsuit, presumably the school is still liable since he is their employee.)
You mention the burn allegation without clarifying that it is only an allegation—the claim has yet to be proven. (Only the family members have claimed to have seen the burn—no classmates, neighbors, teachers or doctor have stepped forward and claimed to have seen it.)
You stated the Freshwater has been fired—actually he is still employed by the school district but is on unpaid suspension pending an ongoing hearing that began in October of 2008 and has yet to be completed.
I live within the Mount Vernon City School district and have been following the case closely and have written extensively about it on my website/blog:
http://www.accountabilityinthemedia.com/2009/08/school-board-votes-to-give-teachers.html
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