MOUNT VERNON — After an extended executive session Tuesday morning, the Mount Vernon City Schools Board of Education and administration decided to have an independent party investigate allegations made against eighth-grade science teacher John Freshwater.
In a public rally last week, Freshwater said the school administration’s directive to remove a personal Bible from his desk was an abridgment of his First Amendment rights, and refused to comply with the order. On Friday, students held a rally in support of Freshwater and his stance for displaying his Bible.
In a press release issued Tuesday afternoon, Superintendent Steve Short said, “The allegations against Mr. Freshwater are very serious. This is not about his personal Bible on his desktop. It is about the totality of his conduct.”
One of the complaints was that Freshwater used an electrostatic device to burn crosses onto students’ arms.
Attorney Jessica Philemond of the law firm Isaac, Brant, Ledman & Teetor, issued a faxed statement Tuesday from her clients, the parents of a boy who said the cross was burned onto his arm. In the statement, the parents said they wish to remain anonymous for fear of their child would be retaliated against.
The fax stated, “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.”
In the fax, the parents said the issue is not about Freshwater having his personal Bible, which they do not oppose, but about the violation of laws and defiance of school policy.
“We are Christians who practice our faith where it belongs, at church and in our home and, most importantly, outside the public classroom, where the law requires a separation of church and state,” the fax stated.
Philemond said this morning that she and her clients are pleased to know the school is launching an independent investigation, and reiterated that it is not about religion.
“It is about following rules,” she said. “We follow the rules and we expect our children to follow the rules. Rules have been broken here.”
Short said it is alleged that Freshwater used his classroom to advance religion and that he teaches his own beliefs from the Bible and not the approved curriculum. It is alleged that in a recent class, Freshwater taught the meaning of Good Friday and Easter.
There are also allegations that Freshwater has conducted prayers and engaged in a healing session in his capacity as monitor for a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting. According to Short, the FCA is a non-school sponsored religious club and federal law prohibits school employees from actively participating. Middle school principal Bill White has been directed to remove Freshwater as a monitor to the club.
According to Short, Freshwater has acknowledged he may have engaged inappropriately as a participant rather than a monitor during FCA meetings.
While the independent investigation is being conducted, an administrator will be in the classroom with Freshwater, monitoring his activities to ensure board policy is followed and students’ rights are protected.
“As a public school system,” Short said, we “cannot teach, promote or favor any religion or religious beliefs. Our obligation is not to endorse or establish any religion under the First Amendment, but we have an obligation to protect our students’ rights. We are hoping that an independent investigation will get to the truth of the allegations so we can make appropriate decisions as to what should be done going forward.”
Philemond said the family let the school know about the cross incident the day after it occurred in December.
“After four months, when it appeared the school did nothing about it, they contacted me,” she said.
The results of the investigation, she said, will determine “where we go from here.”
This morning, Short said the administration did talk with Freshwater about the December incident, and Freshwater was given the opportunity to take corrective action. Short said the board decided to pursue an independent investigation as more allegations came to light, in order to make sure “the whole picture” is known.
According to Freshwater’s personnel file, he has been cautioned on several occasions about adhering to the school district’s policy regarding religion in the classroom. Employee evaluations also state Freshwater has good rapport with students, good teaching skills and extensive knowledge of his subject matter.
